USA TODAY High School Sports‘ Friday Night Notes is a weekly high school recruiting recap that looks at the latest news from around the country—from the Class of 2023 to ’24 and beyond.
Last week we opened Friday Night Notes with a list of five college programs that stood out in the recruiting game. Michigan was on top, with honorable mentions for LSU, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Notre Dame. One of them stood head and shoulders above the competition this week, though.
Specifically, the Fighting Irish have dominated the 2024 recruiting cycle over the last eight days by picking up the following four recruits.
First, Notre Dame won out over 15 other schools for Canion’s commitment. According to the composite rankings, he’s currently No. 29 at his position and No. 28 overall in the ultra-competitive state of Georgia.
Charlotte Christian (NC) 4-star EDGE Bryce Young (April 29)
Two days later, the Irish gave a big boost to their defensive line with Bryce Young – no relation to the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Young is already an NFL-sized lineman at 6-foot-6, 245 pounds.
Chandler (Ariz.): 3-star S Kennedy Urlacher (May 1)
On Monday, Notre Dame added even more namepower, picking up a commitment from Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher’s son Kennedy. He turned down offers from 19 other schools.
Charlotte Christian (NC): 4-star WR Micah Gilbert (May 2)
Last but not least, they added another four-star receiver on Tuesday with Young’s teammate Gilbert, who’s the fifth-ranked player in North Carolina. He says his choice was about the pedigree:
“Notre Dame has that pedigree… I love what they have done in the past. They have a great reputation on and off the field, and the visit pushed them over the top. Everywhere I went, I had my list of requirements. And Notre Dame had everything I was looking for…”
Thanks to this influx of talent, the Fighting Irish class of 2024 has risen to No. 4 in the national rankings.
For more stories about Notre Dame football, check out Fighting Irish Wire.