The 2012 Notre Dame football roster was a gathering of exceptional talent and determination, defining a season that would become one of the most memorable in the program’s history. Guided by head coach Brian Kelly, the Fighting Irish aimed for greatness on the field. Quarterback Everett Golson emerged as a dynamic playmaker, showcasing both his passing ability and agility as a runner. He formed a formidable connection with wide receiver Tyler Eifert, whose reliable hands and athleticism made him a favorite target.
The defense was the backbone of the team, led by star linebacker Manti Te’o, whose impeccable instincts and leadership earned him widespread recognition. Alongside him, Stephon Tuitt and Louis Nix III dominated the defensive line, stifling opposing offenses.
The 2012 season was a defining journey, filled with thrilling victories and intense battles. The Fighting Irish displayed unwavering resolve and unity, earning them an undefeated regular season and a chance to compete for the national championship. While they faced a tough defeat in the title game, the 2012 Notre Dame roster left an indelible mark on the program, inspiring future generations of athletes to strive for greatness.
| NUM | NAME | POS | HT | WT | CL | HOMETOWN | HIGH SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gunner Kiel | QB | 6'4'' | 210 | Freshman | Columbus, IN | Columbus East |
| 2 | Bennett Jackson | CB | 6'0" | 195 | Sophomore | Hazlet, NJ | Raritan |
| 2 | Chris Brown | WR | 6'2'' | 172 | Freshman | Hanahan, SC | Hanahan |
| 3 | Amir Carlisle | RB | 5'10'' | 185 | Sophomore | Santa Clara, CA | King's Academy |
| 4 | George Atkinson III | RB | 6'1'' | 210 | Sophomore | Stockton, CA | Granada |
| 4 | Eilar Hardy | S | 5'11'' | 185 | Sophomore | Reynoldsburg, OH | Pickerington Central |
| 5 | Everett Golson | QB | 6'0" | 185 | Sophomore | Myrtle Beach, SC | Myrtle Beach |
| 5 | Manti Te'o | ILB | 6'2'' | 255 | Senior | Laie, HI | Punahou |
| 6 | Theo Riddick | RB | 5'11'' | 200 | Senior | Manville, NJ | Immaculata |
| 6 | KeiVarae Russell | CB | 5'11'' | 182 | Freshman | Everett, WA | Mariner |
| 7 | TJ Jones | WR | 5'11'' | 190 | Junior | Roswell, GA | Gainesville |
| 7 | Stephon Tuitt | DE | 6'6'' | 303 | Sophomore | Monroe, GA | Monroe |
| 8 | Kendall Moore | ILB | 6'1'' | 242 | Junior | Raleigh, NC | Southeast Raleigh |
| 9 | Louis Nix III | NG | 6'3'' | 326 | Junior | Jacksonville, FL | Raines |
| 9 | Robby Toma | WR | 5'9'' | 185 | Senior | Laie, HI | Punahou |
| 10 | DaVaris Daniels | WR | 6'2'' | 190 | Sophomore | Vernon Hills, IL | Vernon Hills |
| 11 | Ishaq Williams | OLB | 6'5'' | 255 | Sophomore | Brooklyn, NY | Lincoln |
| 11 | Tommy Rees | QB | 6'2'' | 210 | Junior | Lake Forest, IL | Lake Forest |
| 12 | Andrew Hendrix | QB | 6'2'' | 220 | Junior | Cincinnati, OH | Moeller |
| 13 | Danny Spond | OLB | 6'2'' | 248 | Junior | Littleton, CO | Columbine |
| 14 | Luke Massa | WR | 6'4'' | 225 | Junior | Cincinnati, OH | St. Xavier |
| 15 | Dan McCarthy | S | 6'2'' | 205 | Fifth Year | Youngstown, OH | Cardinal Mooney |
| 16 | Chris Badger | S | 6'0" | 193 | Freshman | Provo, UT | Timpview |
| 17 | Zeke Motta | S | 6'2'' | 215 | Senior | Vero Beach, FL | Vero Beach |
| 17 | Charlie Fiessinger | QB | 6'1'' | 185 | Sophomore | Mason, OH | Moeller |
| 18 | Ben Koyack | TE | 6'5'' | 253 | Sophomore | Oil City, PA | Oil City |
| 19 | Davonte' Neal | WR | 5'9'' | 171 | Freshman | Scottsdale, AZ | Central |
| 20 | Cierre Wood | RB | 6'0" | 215 | Senior | Oxnard, CA | Santa Clara |
| 21 | Jalen Brown | CB | 6'1'' | 199 | Sophomore | Irving, TX | MacArthur |
| 22 | Elijah Shumate | S | 6'0" | 198 | Freshman | East Orange, NJ | Don Bosco Prep |
| 23 | Lo Wood | CB | 5'10'' | 195 | Junior | Apopka, FL | Apopka |
| 24 | Chris Salvi | S | 5'10'' | 190 | Senior | Lake Forest, IL | Carmel Catholic |
| 26 | Jamoris Slaughter | S | 6'0" | 200 | Fifth Year | Stone Mountain, GA | Tucker |
| 27 | Kyle Brindza | K/P | 6'1'' | 225 | Sophomore | Canton, MI | Plymouth |
| 28 | Austin Collinsworth | S | 6'1'' | 202 | Junior | Fort Thomas, KY | Highlands |
| 29 | Nicky Baratti | S | 6'1'' | 206 | Freshman | Tomball, TX | Klein Oak |
| 30 | Ben Councell | OLB | 6'5'' | 240 | Sophomore | Asheville, NC | A.C. Reynolds |
| 31 | John Turner | S | 6'2'' | 207 | Freshman | Indianapolis, IN | Cathedral |
| 32 | Will Mahone | RB | 5'10'' | 211 | Freshman | Austintown, OH | Fitch |
| 33 | Cam McDaniel | RB | 5'10'' | 195 | Sophomore | Coppell, TX | Coppell |
| 34 | C.J. Prosise | S | 6'2'' | 208 | Freshman | Petersburg, VA | Woodberry Forest |
| 35 | Ben Turk | P | 5'11'' | 186 | Senior | Davie, FL | St. Thomas Aquinas |
| 35 | Joe Romano | CB | 5'9'' | 175 | Junior | River Forest, IL | Fenwick |
| 36 | Will Salvi | CB | 5'10'' | 176 | Senior | Lake Forest, IL | Carmel Catholic |
| 37 | Eric Lee | WR | 5'9'' | 180 | Sophomore | West Des Moines, IA | Dowling Catholic |
| 38 | Nick Fitzpatrick | WR | 5'8'' | 170 | Senior | Mishawaka, IN | Marian |
| 38 | Joe Schmidt | ILB | 6'5'' | 230 | Sophomore | Orange, CA | Mater Dei |
| 39 | Jude Rhodes | K/P | 5'10'' | 180 | Junior | Kapsowar, Kenya | Nordhoff (Ojai, CA |
| 39 | Ryan Liebscher | WR | 5'11'' | 205 | Junior | Colorado Springs, CO | Cheyenne Mountain |
| 40 | Nick Tausch | K | 6'0" | 201 | Senior | Plano, TX | Jesuit |
| 41 | Matthias Farley | S | 5'11'' | 200 | Sophomore | Charlotte, NC | Christian |
| 42 | Ernie Soto | S | 5'9'' | 188 | Sophomore | Davie, FL | St. Thomas Aquinas |
| 43 | Josh Atkinson | CB | 5'11'' | 195 | Freshman | Stockton, CA | Granada |
| 44 | Carlo Calabrese | ILB | 6'1'' | 245 | Senior | Verona, NJ | Verona |
| 45 | Romeo Okwara | OLB | 6'4'' | 239 | Freshman | Charlotte, NC | Ardrey Kell |
| 46 | Eamon McOsker | S | 6'1'' | 200 | Freshman | San Pedro, CA | Loyola |
| 46 | Josh Anderson | WR | 5'9'' | 180 | Freshman | Chatsworth, CA | Notre Dame |
| 47 | Connor Cavalaris | S | 5'11'' | 194 | Sophomore | Lake Forest, IL | Lake Forest |
| 48 | Dan Fox | ILB | 6'3'' | 240 | Senior | Rocky River, OH | St. Ignatius |
| 49 | Blake Breslau | S | 5'10'' | 185 | Senior | San Diego, CA | Francis Parker |
| 50 | Chase Hounshell | DE | 6'4'' | 275 | Sophomore | Kirtland, OH | Lake Catholic |
| 51 | Bruce Heggie | OC | 6'5'' | 285 | Junior | Sorrento, FL | Mount Dora |
| 52 | Braxston Cave | OC | 6'3'' | 304 | Fifth Year | Granger, IN | Penn |
| 53 | Justin Utupo | DE | 6'1'' | 258 | Junior | Lakewood, CA | Lakewood |
| 54 | Kevin Walsh | LB | 6'3'' | 220 | Senior | Bettendorf, IA | Davenport Assumption |
| 55 | Prince Shembo | OLB | 6'2'' | 250 | Junior | Charlotte, NC | Ardrey Kell |
| 56 | Anthony Rabasa | OLB | 6'3'' | 240 | Sophomore | Miami, FL | Columbus |
| 57 | Mike Golic Jr. | OC | 6'3'' | 300 | Fifth Year | West Hartford, CT | Northwest Catholic |
| 59 | Jarrett Grace | ILB | 6'3'' | 240 | Sophomore | Cincinnati, OH | Colerain |
| 60 | Jordan Cowart | LS | 6'2'' | 230 | Senior | Plantation, FL | St. Thomas Aquinas |
| 61 | Scott Daly | LS | 6'2'' | 245 | Freshman | Downers Grove, IL | South |
| 62 | Matt Tansey | OL | 6'6'' | 270 | Senior | Berkeley Heights, NJ | Governor Livingston |
| 63 | Grant Patton | DE | 6'6'' | 256 | Senior | Louisville, KY | Saint Xavier |
| 64 | Tate Nichols | OT | 6'8'' | 320 | Junior | Walton, KY | Ryle |
| 65 | Conor Hanratty | OC | 6'5'' | 305 | Sophomore | New Canaan, CT | New Canaan |
| 66 | Chris Watt | OG | 6'3'' | 310 | Senior | Glen Ellyn, IL | Glenbard West |
| 67 | Kevin Carr | DE | 6'7'' | 325 | Junior | Nashville, TN | Montgomery Bell Academy |
| 69 | Tony Springmann | NG | 6'6'' | 300 | Sophomore | Fort Wayne, IN | Bishop Dwenger |
| 71 | Dennis Mahoney | OT | 6'7'' | 294 | Senior | Baltimore, MD | Boys Latin School |
| 72 | Nick Martin | OC | 6'4'' | 290 | Sophomore | Indianapolis, IN | Bishop Chatard |
| 73 | Dan Furlong | OL | 6'7'' | 250 | Freshman | Livonia, MI | Orchard Lake St. Mary's |
| 74 | Christian Lombard | OT | 6'5'' | 309 | Junior | Inverness, IL | Fremd |
| 75 | Mark Harrell | OL | 6'4'' | 287 | Freshman | Charlotte, NC | Catholic |
| 77 | Matt Hegarty | OC | 6'5'' | 296 | Sophomore | Aztec, NM | Aztec |
| 78 | Ronnie Stanley | OT | 6'6'' | 304 | Freshman | Las Vegas, NV | Bishop Gorman |
| 80 | Tyler Eifert | TE | 6'6'' | 251 | Senior | Ft. Wayne, IN | Bishop Dwenger |
| 81 | John Goodman | WR | 6'3'' | 215 | Fifth Year | Fort Wayne, IN | Bishop Dwenger |
| 82 | Justin Ferguson | WR | 6'2'' | 196 | Freshman | Pembroke Pines, FL | Flanagan |
| 82 | Alex Welch | TE | 6'4'' | 250 | Junior | Cincinnati, OH | Elder |
| 83 | Gerard Martinez | WR | 6'1'' | 200 | Freshman | Las Vegas, NV | Cimarron Memorial |
| 84 | Andre Smith | WR | 6'2'' | 190 | Sophomore | Davie, FL | North Broward Prep |
| 85 | Troy Niklas | TE | 6'7'' | 260 | Sophomore | Fullerton, CA | Servite |
| 86 | Arturo Martinez | DE | 6'4'' | 250 | Junior | Miami, FL | Belen Jesuit |
| 87 | Daniel Smith | WR | 6'4'' | 215 | Junior | South Bend, IN | Clay |
| 88 | Jake Golic | TE | 6'4'' | 245 | Senior | West Hartford, CT | Northwest Catholic |
| 89 | Kapron Lewis-Moore | DE | 6'4'' | 306 | Fifth Year | Weatherford, TX | Weatherford |
| 91 | Sheldon Day | DE | 6'2'' | 286 | Freshman | Indianapolis, IN | Warren Central |
| 92 | Tyler Stockton | NG | 5'11'' | 285 | Senior | Linwood, NJ | Hun School |
| 93 | Connor Little | OLB | 6'3'' | 225 | Sophomore | Lake Elmo, MN | Hill-Murray |
| 94 | Jarron Jones | DE | 6'5'' | 299 | Freshman | Rochester, NY | Aquinas Institute |
| 96 | Kona Schwenke | NG | 6'4'' | 290 | Junior | Hauula, HI | Kahuku |
