Rivals national recruiting analyst Greg Smith has a trio of predictions on Notre Dame's matchup with Indiana, Jackson Cantwell's recruitment and Michigan's portal haul.
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1. NOTRE DAME BLOWS OUT INDIANA
Every Cinderella story in sports has to end sometime. It’s been a wonderful ride for coach Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers, who have exceeded all expectations in his first season. But that’ll end emphatically on Friday.
The team is walking into a hornet’s nest to face Notre Dame in South Bend. The crowd will be at a fever pitch for the first playoff game under the expanded format that now lets teams host games. There is also the important detail that the Fighting Irish will likely be the best team that Indiana has faced all season.
Notre Dame also has the extra motivation to remind everyone that it's the dominant program in the state of Indiana. It’ll be a fun atmosphere but I’ve got the Irish winning by double-digits.
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2. JACKSON CANTWELL TAKES HIS COMMITMENT TO SIGNING DAY
As time goes on, it doesn’t seem like we get as many decisions that go all the way to National Signing Day. But I’m predicting that we get one from the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 Rivals250. Jackson Cantwell has taken a lot of visits to all the schools he’s considering. But there still isn’t clarity on a clear top group.
That isn’t a knock on him though and is more a testament to the quality options that he has. There are real reasons why he’d pick Oregon, Missouri, Nebraska or Georgia. Those programs have all been in the mix this whole time and that makes the decision harder.
Cantwell recently saw Ohio State and Michigan in-person for the first time. Those two powerhouse programs could shake up his recruitment as well. I do think that another round of cuts to his list are coming sooner than later. But as the programs continue to push hard for his commitment this process isn’t getting any easier.
3. MICHIGAN WILL BE A PORTAL WINNER AND BIG TEN FAVORITE
Michigan ended the 2025 recruiting cycle as one of the most talked about teams in the country. Landing five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, flipping four-star defensive back Elijah Dotson, landing five-star linebacker Nathaniel Owuwu-Boateng and five-star defensive end Nathaniel Marshall will get you some serious momentum.
That has carried over to the portal. The Wolverines added Brady Norton, one of the top offensive linemen in the FCS. Michigan also picked up TJ and Tevis Metcalf. The Wolverines are still in the hunt for an serviceable quarterback and more playmakers at receiver and running back.
Michigan will land players to be excited about at each of those positions and emerge as one of the early favorites for the Big Ten next season.
