Notre Dame made ESPN’s way-too-early rankings for the 2023 season as a top 15 team.

ESPN college football writer Mark Schlabach ranked the the top 25 teams in the early rankings and Notre Dame was ranked No. 14. Schlabach discussed Notre Dame’s outlook for 2023:

“Things could have gotten ugly for Notre Dame in Marcus Freeman’s first season as coach, especially after an 0-2 start that included a home loss to Marshall. A 16-14 defeat against Stanford at home wasn’t much better. But Freeman and his staff got things back on track by winning six of seven games, including a 45-38 victory against South Carolina in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Former starting quarterback Pyne transferred to Arizona State, but the Irish landed former Wake Forest starter Hartman, who has thrown for nearly 13,000 yards with 110 touchdowns during five seasons with Wake Forest. He’ll compete with Tyler Buchner, who had five touchdowns against the Gamecocks.”

Notre Dame will need to replace several key players in 2023. The addition of Hartman will add veteran experience to the quarterback room.

The Fighting Irish are also returning potential All-American candidates like offensive lineman Joe Alt and cornerback Benjamin Morrison.

In 2022, Notre Dame finished with a 9-4 record. Notre Dame will open up next season against Navy on Aug. 26 in Ireland.