College Football

Who are the top 10 Notre Dame players of all time?

Published Jan. 18, 2025 1:20 p.m. ET

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In college football, there are a lot of programs that have had success over the long history of the sport. However, there are a few programs which are considered pillars of the sport. Notre Dame is one of those schools. The Fighting Irish have a long and storied history made up of numerous Pro and College Football Hall of Famers, some that stretch back 70-plus years and others that are more recent.

Everyone knows Joe Montana, Tim Brown, Joe Theismann, Brady Quinn, Jerome Bettis and Manti Te'o, but who are the best of the best for a school with the rich tradition of Notre Dame?

Here are the 10 best Notre Dame players of all time, courtesy of FOX Sports Research. 

Our list was determined using a player’s success at Notre Dame but also factored in NFL success to a degree.

10. WR Raghib Ismail (1988-1990)

Ismail was — and still is — considered to be one of the most exciting players in college football history. Nicknamed "Rocket", Ismail helped lead Notre Dame to an undefeated 1988 season and is one of two ND players to amass more than 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in a career. 

One of his biggest claims to fame is that he remains the only player in history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in two games (1988 and 1989).

Ismail finished runner-up in the 1990 Heisman Trophy voting before eventually leading the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League to a Grey Cup title in 1991. He later suited up for the Raiders, Panthers and Cowboys during his NFL career. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

9. DT Bryant Young (1990-1993)

A future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Young dominated the college ranks before doing so at the pro level. Young was selected as an All-American his senior season in 1993, posting 6.5 sacks and 67 tackles. Over his four years, he helped lead the team to a 40-8 record, along with two wins in the Cotton Bowl and one Sugar Bowl win.

In the NFL, it was more of the same for Young, who dominated to the tune of 89.5 sacks and eventually became a member of the NFL's All-Decade team for the 1990s.

8. OL George Connor (1946-1947)

Connor was a monster in the run game, paving the way for legends like Emil Sitko and Terry Brennan. Most impressively though, he never lost a game in his 18 games with the Fighting Irish, going 17-0-1, with the lone tie coming against Army in 1946. 

Connor was so highly thought of that a 1962 panel of 400 sports writers determined he was one of Notre Dame's best 11 players — and gave him the most votes of any player in the process (tied with Leon Hart) with 340 votes. In 1946, Connor was the first recipient of the Outland Trophy, the nation's award for the best Interior lineman. 

He would later play eight seasons with the Bears and become an NFL All-Pro.

7. QB Joe Theismann (1968-1970)

One of the most famous quarterbacks in NFL history due to his unfortunate injuries, Theismann was a legend at Notre Dame before going pro. In 1969, his first year as a full-time starter, Theismann helped Notre Dame get as high as fifth in the country and nearly pull off an upset against national champion Texas. 

During his tenure with the Fighting Irish, he compiled a 20-3-2 record, setting then-school records for passing yards in a game (526), yards in a season (2,429) and touchdowns in a season (16).

After going pro, he would play 15 NFL seasons, winning a Super Bowl with Washington in 1982 and winning the league MVP in 1983. In 1985, he suffered a devastating knee injury that later altered the course of his career.

6. RB Jerome Bettis (1990-1992)

"The Bus," as he was famously known, finished his career just shy of 2,000 rushing yards (1,912 yards to be exact) and averaged over 5.5 yards per carry for his career. In his sophomore year, Bettis had a nose for the end zone, accumulating a then-school record of 20 touchdowns. If you include the Sugar Bowl, he collected 23 touchdowns, a record that still stands today.

Deciding not to take another pit stop, "The Bus" decided to forego his senior season and enter the 1993 NFL Draft. He would play 13 pro seasons, accumulating over 13,000 rushing yards, a Super Bowl title in his last season and eventually a gold jacket and induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

5. TE Dave Casper (1971-1973)

Nicknamed "The Ghost", Casper began his career as a tackle and even earned honorable mention as an All-American in 1972. In 1973, he switched over to tight end and helped lead the team to the national title as the Fighting Irish's Offensive MVP and a consensus All-American.

In 1974, he was taken in the second round of the NFL Draft and would eventually play for the Raiders, Oilers and Vikings, collecting 52 touchdowns over his career. In 2002, he would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  

4. DT Alan Page (1964-1966)

Page was a force on a Notre Dame defensive unit that instilled fear in opposing offenses. During his career, he started all 29 games he played, helping the team earn 12 shutouts and allowing less than seven points per game. In his final season, the fearsome tackle collected 66 tackles and ended with a 51-0 shutout against USC at the Coliseum. 

In the NFL, Page would become a Pro Bowler, All-Pro, Defensive Player of the Year, MVP and Super Bowl champion, ultimately earning a spot in Canton.

3. QB Paul Hornung (1954-1956)

In Hornung's first two seasons, the QB helped lead the Fighting Irish to a 17-3 record before the team slid in his final season, finishing 2-8. Those first two years, he was an All-American each time, finishing fifth in the Heisman voting in the latter season.

Despite the team's struggles in 1956, Hornung truly did it all. He finished second in total offense nationally, 15th in passing and 16th in scoring. That ultimately led him to become the first player on a losing team to earn the Heisman. 

In the NFL, he would ultimately land in Green Bay, becoming a halfback and placekicker for nine years.

2. WR Tim Brown (1984-1987)

The second wideout to earn the Heisman, Brown would set 19 school records in his career, ultimately earning him the nickname "Touchdown Timmy." He would become a two-time All-American in his latter two seasons, putting up a combined 1,756 receiving yards to go with eight touchdowns and five combined return touchdowns. 

After winning the Heisman in 1987, Brown was selected sixth overall in the ensuing NFL Draft. He eventually would be named to nine Pro Bowls and held an NFL record at the time of 75 receptions in 10 straight seasons, leading him to eventually be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

1. QB Joe Montana (1974-1978)

Montana is well known for his pro career, but his college career at Notre Dame was pretty special in its own right. He played a total of 27 games, throwing for over 4,000 yards to pair with 25 touchdowns and six rushing touchdowns. 

Despite his collegiate success, Montana did not generate the buzz from scouts due to the old combine process and ultimately slid to the end of the third round, where he was selected by the 49ers. From there, Montana led the team to four Super Bowls, nine divisional crowns and passed for over 40,000 yards in his career. Many of his Super Bowl records still stand today.

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