Tag: Braylon James

Who is missing from Notre Dame in Sun Bowl via opt-out?

These names could be in the Sun Bowl, but they won’t be.

It’s become increasingly common for college football players to opt out of inconsequential bowl games for one reason or another. With the College Football Playoff field tripling in size next year, that could solve the problem a bit, at least as far as the number of team this practice impacts. This is the future of college football, even if you don’t agree with it.

With Notre Dame facing Oregon State in the Sun Bowl, several Irish players are missing, either having entered the transfer portal or choosing to focus on preparing for the NFL draft. That means many of the Irish’s leaders in each major statistical category will be absent, so it’s not worth listing a bunch of names that won’t play.

Instead, we’re going to list the percentage of each major statistic that will be missing from the Irish during the final game of the season because of opt-outs. Hopefully, this won’t discourage you from watching the game too much:

Former Notre Dame wide receiver announces new school

He’s headed back home…

Freshman wide receiver Braylon James was one of a handful of Notre Dame targets to enter the transfer portal just days after the 2023 regular season ended.  We now know the Texas native is headed back home to continue his college career.

James announced on social media Monday that he will be continuing his college career at TCU.

James caught one pass for 12-yards in his one season at Notre Dame.  He returns to his native Texas where he starred at Stony Point High School.

James was graded as a four-star recruit out of high school and checks in at 6-2, 202-pounds.

See all Notre Dame transfer portal happenings with our 2023-24 Transfer Portal Tracker

Watch: Notre Dame’s latest practice video features song by Braylon James

James might have a career in something other than football

Many football players have interests outside of the game and for [autotag]Notre Dame[/autotag] freshman year wide receiver [autotag]Braylon James[/autotag], it involves getting into a recording studio.

Although there hasn’t been an opportunity for James to show what he can do on the field against a college opponent, he did show his talents in the musical arena. In Notre Dame’s latest video on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, the receiver’s song is in the background while the highlights of fall practice are shown.

If you listen closely, you can hear James giving a shout out to his quarterback, [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag]. Take a look and listen for yourself below.

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Gallagher smashes Notre Dame’s hope of commitment

Which remaining receiver does Notre Dame have to land now?

Sometimes you’re the sledgehammer and sometimes you’re the watermelon.

Notre Dame was, indeed, the watermelon when it came to four-star wide receiver and top 100 overall player (247Sports) in the 2023 recruiting class [autotag]Rodney Gallagher[/autotag], who announced he plans to play college football at West Virginia.

Gallagher chose West Virginia over seven other finalists, including Notre Dame, Texas, Penn State, Oregon, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech and Pitt.

Gallagher was one of Notre Dame’s top offensive priorities in what has already been a stellar recruiting class.

Gallagher originally stated he would announce his decision on July 4, but last week decided to bump up his announcement.

Notre Dame has one wide receiver committed in its 2023 recruiting cycle. That is, of course, [autotag]Braylon James[/autotag] of Stony Point High School in Round Rock, Texas.

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Notre Dame freshman named one to watch during Blue & Gold game

Which freshman are you most interesting in seeing?

There has been a lot of hype surrounding [autotag]Notre Dame[/autotag] early enrollee [autotag]Braylon James[/autotag]. Post-signing, I named him as my instant impact recruiting of the 2023 class. More than a few practice clips have been posted online and the hype is starting for the Texan.

Adding more fuel to the fire was Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports, who named James as one of his 10 freshman to watch during spring games. He points out that “James is the kind of player Notre Dame didn’t sign under [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag],” insinuating that [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] is bringing in much more talented players.

James’ speed stands out, as Jeyarajah points out that he “boasts elite top-end speed,” and it translated over from his time running track.

There certainly is a need to find more playmakers from this position, as they group as a whole struggled mightily during the 2022 season. The opportunity is there for James to make a big impact and if he ends the spring on a high note on April 22nd, watch out.

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This outlet names one Notre Dame assistant who had an immediate recruiting impact

The Irish found a good one

Recruiting is the lifeblood of any college program, and [autotag]Notre Dame[/autotag] head coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] knows that. When he assembled his staff, not only was he looking for great coaches, but he also wanted great recruiters.

He found one in wide receivers coach [autotag]Chansi Stuckey[/autotag]. The former Clemson and NFL receiver has made a seamless transition into the coaching world. Stuckey is responsible for the Irish 2023 receiver haul that included [autotag]Braylon James[/autotag], [autotag]Jaden Greathouse[/autotag], [autotag]Rico Flores[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaleb Smith[/autotag]. He is off to a great start in the 2024 class with a commitment from [autotag]Cam Williams[/autotag].

This effort has caught the eye of many, including On3, which named Stuckey one of their assistant coaches who made an immediate impact on the recruiting trail.

Freeman knows he has a good one, and the expectation is Stuckey will continue to recruit well. The next step in his evolution is getting his position group to play at a higher level, which hopefully starts to show this spring and leading into the fall.

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247Sports believes this Notre Dame 2023 signee could make an instant impact

Could he have a great year?

Long gone are the days where freshman sit on the bench biding their time, and [autotag]Notre Dame[/autotag] is no stranger to that. Just look at a couple of recent examples, offensive tackle [autotag]Joe Alt[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Benjamin Morrison[/autotag].

Both had massive impacts for the Irish in their first seasons. Each earned Freshman All-American honors. According to 247Sports, there could be another Notre Dame first-year player making waves this fall, wide receiver [autotag]Jaden Greathouse[/autotag].

Greathouse is not the highest rated receiver the Irish signed. [autotag]Braylon James[/autotag] was rated two spots higher and is who I believed would be in this spot on signing day. However, Greathouse has a college-ready frame.

Chris Hummer, who complied the list, noted the receiver “should have every opportunity to not only earn a spot in the Irish rotation but possibly to start.”

It’s not out of the question due to offensive coordinator Tommy Rees moving on and a new offensive coordinator most likely resetting the depth chart to his system. Both James and Greathouse have enrolled early, and we will get our first look this spring to see which has the upper hand entering fall practice.

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Meet Notre Dame’s Now Complete 2023 Recruiting Class

Meet Notre Dame’s 26 current commitments in what is a top-five class nationally.

After a whirlwind couple of years the 2023 recruiting class has officially been completed at Notre Dame.  What started out tremendously hit a few snags along the way.  It closed with one of the strangest signing day stories you’ll ever see when Peyton Bowen bailed on Notre Dame for Oregon, only to change his mind and bail on Oregon for Oklahoma just a day later.

In all, Notre Dame wound up with 24 signed commitments after the second signing period in February.  It didn’t finish in the top couple of spots nationally like we had hoped after it’s tremendous start but will continue to add to the overall talent for Notre Dame.

Here are the 24 newest members of the Notre Dame football team:

Where each 2023 Notre Dame signee landed on ESPN’s final recruiting class update

The Irish class is loaded with talent

The first full class for [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] should be viewed at as a booming success for [autotag]Notre Dame[/autotag] football. Not only did the Irish fill holes but they created a lot of depth across every position group. It was extremely impressive for the first-time head coach.

Today, ESPN released their final update to the 2023 recruiting cycle and there was plenty of Irish signees that were named on their list. Even though there weren’t any players ranked inside the top 50, Notre Dame players were still all around the list.

Find out below which Fighting Irish signees made ESPN’s final top 300 list.

Notre Dame misses out on 2023 Illinois wide receiver who elects to stay home

The Irish hat was left on the table

The Irish had their hat on the table for Illinois wide receiver [autotag]Malik Elzy[/autotag] at the [autotag]All-American Bowl[/autotag] but it really didn’t seem like [autotag]Notre Dame[/autotag] was a contender. Having know Elzy since his freshman year, I knew he was going to be a big-time threat.

At one point, Elzy was committed to [autotag]Cincinatti[/autotag], but when [autotag]Luke Fickell[/autotag] left to take the [autotag]Wisconsin[/autotag] job, the six-foot-two-inch and 205-pound receiver opened things up again. During the All-American game, Elzy made his decision, selecting Illinois and staying close to home.

This really doesn’t hurt the Irish, as they signed [autotag]Braylon James[/autotag], [autotag]Jaden Greathouse[/autotag], [autotag]Rico Flores[/autotag], and [autotag]Kaleb Smith[/autotag]. [autotag]Brandyn Hillman[/autotag] could end up playing the position as well.

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