Irish Illustrated Insider rolls old school with discussions involving the Fighting Irish (but no more than two), program cultures, position battles (kind of), pass-catching runners, sneaking quarterbacks, and an early line on the opener at Wisconsin. An expected but unfortunate transfer portal entry just beats the deadline for our lamentations as well.

Irish Illustrated Insider delves into Notre Dame's running back trio, the offense's likely areas of improvement, X-factors on both sides for a Playoff run, and evaluate the wide receiver room's potential, We also discuss Niele Ivey's squad's improvement through season's end, The Shot heard around NCAA Tournament (history), and debate if Notre Dame could disappoint as did two of last year's pre-season football favorites.

Irish Illustrated’s Tracking the Trail returns with senior recruiting analyst Eric Thomas and 247Sports and CBS Sports National College Football Recruiting Analyst, Tom Loy. The duo is here to discuss Notre Dame’s big Junior Day this past weekend. A number of big-time recruits were on campus. That includes several five-star prospects and running back Lathan Whisenton, the latest Fighting Irish commit. At the end, Eric and Tom also answer a few questions submitted by subscribers on the Four Horsemen Lounge.

Irish Illustrated Insider offers behind-the-scenes tidbits from Notre Dame's first three practices. Who stood out? Who won't back down? And which transfers have begun to carve an early niche? We also discuss Notre Dame's troubled men's basketball program, the advantages of an incumbent, standout quarterback, and a few off-the-field notes in the NIL realm.

Notre Dame’s spring transition is in full swing. We evaluate the immediate impact of spring practice on the fall depth chart, the surge of Irish baseball, and the contrasting states of the hoops programs. Plus, we touch on another national title run in South Bend, and which practice trends are built to last.

Irish Illustrated Insider: Key Takeaways from Notre Dame’s First Spring Practice — The Irish Illustrated Insider team breaks down standout performances from Notre Dame’s opening spring practice, including which players stood out among the starters, who impressed with the second team, and which early enrollees made strong first impressions. Following practice, Notre Dame’s three coordinators shared updates and insights on player development and emerging talent heading into the 2026 season.

Irish Illustrated Insider podcast looks ahead to Friday's opening of Notre Dame spring practice, dives into RB and LB depth concerns, injury updates, Jagusah’s 2026 outlook, the search for a backup QB, KVA’s trajectory, and which spring standouts could reshape the 2026 depth chart.

Episode No. 18 of the Irish Illustrated Insider podcast features Frank Pomarico, who played offensive guard for Notre Dame from 1971-73. That includes earning the honor of team captain for the 1973 national championship team. The Kansas City Chiefs drafted Pomarico before he spent a few years in the CFL. He also published a book in 2015, "Ara's Knights," about Coach Parseghian and the golden era of Notre Dame football. We discussed all that. Plus, what it was like to get recruited to play college football back in the late 1960s, watching Joe Theismann, and why he decided to write a book. Get your copy of "Ara's Knights on Amazon: https://a.co/d/099eDo3n

Irish Illustrated Insider returns with a special recruiting-centric episode, with host Eric Thomas and special guest Tom Loy. In Segment I, the duo breaks down the full Notre Dame 2026 haul, position by position, sharing insight and analysis from their high school careers. In Segment II, the guys answer subscriber questions about key 2027 recruiting topics, ranging from the latest with top defensive line targets to predictions on the Irish 2027 quarterback signee.

Irish Illustrated Insider examines Notre Dame's newcomer-heavy spring session, discusses the program's commitment to victory and the stark contrast on the men's hardwood, and Tim Prister offers his final thoughts on the passing of Lou Holtz. We also opine on the team's ever-increasing talent level while O'Malley offers a final ode to Jeremiyah Love's greatness in direct response.

Episode No. 17 of the Irish Illustrated Interviews podcast series features Ty Hildenbrandt, a lifelong Notre Dame fan and one of the co-hosts and founders of "The Solid Verbal" podcast. The show represents the largest independent college football podcast, and it's heading into its 19th season. The episode discusses his complicated fandom as a Penn State alumnus and a diehard Fighting Irish supporter, the consternation his dual allegiances have caused at times and what it's like to share his raw emotions as a fan with a national audience. The conversation also dives into The Solid Verbal and how he and his co-host, Dan Rubenstein, get the pulse of college football teams across the country while following dozens upon dozens of games each weekend. That includes browsing various message boards to monitor fan reactions. Check out The Solid Verbal here. https://www.solidverbal.com/

Irish Illustrated Insider discusses the most recent round of freshmen interviews, the program's modern recruiting advantages, the dwindling position switch phenomenon, and Part 1 of the staff's thoughts and memories of the great Lou Holtz.

Irish Illustrated Insider reviews Notre Dame's six-pack of combine performers, discusses spring question marks and concerns, and offers a little more hope on the injury horizon for one of the team's top talents. We also opine on the best matchups and individual opponents that await in 2026 while reviewing the world's greatest bingo game at Irishillustrated.com.

Irish Illustrated Insider discusses Wednesday's initial interviews with Aaron Henry, a handful of early enrollees, and Micah Shrewsberry's future after a historic loss on the hardwood. We also offer best bets for forthcoming 40-yard dash times from Love and Price, offer a few projects for the upcoming campaign, and opine on the running backs room: do we prefer the freshmen tandem or the current reserves?

The Irish Illustrated Insider podcast dives into Notre Dame’s shaky football series with Texas, key NFL Draft Combine storylines, and the challenges facing the men’s basketball team—plus your questions on CJ Carr, Leonard Moore, Joey O’Brien, and more from the Irish sports world.

Episode No. 16 of the Irish Illustrated Interviews podcast series features Bo Bauer, a former Notre Dame linebacker who played for the Fighting Irish from 2018 to 2022. We discuss his various roles on the Notre Dame football team, from a special-teams star and fan favorite to nickel linebacker to team captain. Our conversation also delves into his tumultuous final season at Notre Dame, which was cut short by injury, and how that path led him down an arduous road as he pursued a career in the NFL. Still, he spent time with the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks before suffering another significant injury and retiring from the game in September 2024. Now, Bauer works for his mentor and a fellow former Notre Dame linebacker, Jack Shields, as an Implementation associate at Shields at Home and a strategic advisor with Project LAND, which stands for Life After Notre Dame.

Irish Illustrated Insider breaks down Notre Dame football’s latest developments, featuring insights from new defensive line coach Charlie Partridge and seven incoming transfers. The episode also explores how player contracts, NIL revenue sharing, and the growing trend of undergraduate transfers are shaping the program’s future and competitive edge.

On this edition of Irish Illustrated Insider, The latest "Burning Up the Boards" mailbag uses sharp, veteran questions to frame where Notre Dame stands and where it's headed, from which position coach you'd most want to sit with in the lunchroom to which young receiver is best positioned to emerge behind Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse in a crowded but intriguing room. Listeners press the issue of why emerging defenders like Shuler, Bowen, KVA and Tae Johnson lack national buzz despite the acclaim for Notre Dame's defense, while also turning the lens on the hosts with queries about when they were most wrong and most right, and where the top five champions of the CFP era truly stack up. The segment digs into what it means to cover Notre Dame as alumni versus outsiders, whether Ja'Juan Seider should expand his backfield rotation after losing two top backs to the NFL, the greatest throw, catch and run the staff has ever seen involving the Irish, and a pointed challenge on whether the offensive line cost Notre Dame the Miami game more than any other unit.

On this edition of Irish Illustrated Insider, our staff takes a deep dive into a broad slate of topics — from the art of source-building to notable late-winter coaching shifts over the years. We assess the evolution of Notre Dame's coaching staffs, address current roster uncertainties, and examine the growing impact of five-star additions through both the transfer portal and recruiting trail. Plus, we update Loren Landow's status in South Bend.

Irish Illustrated Insider delves into Notre Dame's recently released spring roster, discusses a few position battles as posited by posters, laments another opportunity lost on the hardwood, and wanders into the world of the Super Bowl and Winter and Summer Olympics.