Tag: Class of 2026

Notre Dame Lands Three-Star Defensive End Recruit Aiden Gobaira

Notre Dame’s defensive line just landed a very solid recruit for its future.

Notre Dame’s defensive line just landed a very solid recruit for its future. Weak-side defensive end Aiden Gobaira, weighing in at 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, has announced his commitment to the Irish. Penn State was the only other major player for the three-star recruit, so it’s not like there was serious competition for him. Still, the Irish will be happy to have the Chantilly, Virginia, native that Mike Elston and Marcus Freeman have high hopes for.

Gobaira has received offers from schools as far back as April, including one from the Irish in May. Per 247Sports, he made an unofficial visit to Notre Dame on Tuesday. Whatever happened during that visit obviously won him over because only a few days later, he knows what his future holds after he completes his prep senior season in the fall. Oh, and his mother is thrilled with his decision, too, which is enough to melt the iciest heart (We’ll forgive the typo):

 

Notre Dame Offers Running Back Recruit Jordan Bryant-James

The first thing to know about the above headline is that no, this has nothing to do with the constant GOAT discussion in the NBA.

The first thing to know about the above headline is that no, this has nothing to do with the constant GOAT discussion in the NBA. It just so happens that Notre Dame running back target Jordan Bryant-James has all three names that come up in that. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native from Oakland High School actually has a future in football, and the Irish want him. Naturally, Lance Taylor is looking out for when Kyren Williams eventually moves on:

So far, 14 schools have expressed interest in and given offers to Bryant-James. Both Tennessee and Vanderbilt in his home state are among them. The other schools in the mix include Missouri, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Florida State, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Nebraska. When the Daily News Journal, your hometown newspaper, names you its all-area player of the year, you’re bound to attract some prominent schools. While we don’t know if he’ll take his talents to South Bend, at least he’s appreciative of that opportunity.

Offensive Tackle Recruit Tyler Booker Receives Offer From Notre Dame

Notre Dame had a strong offensive line during the past season, and it’s making an effort to replenish that unit.

Notre Dame had a strong offensive line during the past season, and it’s making an effort to replenish that unit. Its latest to do so comes in the form of offensive tackle Tyler Booker, a junior at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Booker weighs in at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, which could easily fill the void left by Tommy Kraemer in a couple of years.

Rivals believes Florida is the odds-on favorite to land the hometown product. Still, seemingly everyone is interested in Booker as he now has received offers from 32 of the 33 schools that have expressed interest. Among the more prominent programs expressing real interest are Georgia, Penn State, Texas, Alabama, Miami, Ohio State and LSU. The only certain thing is that plenty of playing time will await whichever school he chooses.

Booker also is the nephew of former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Ulish Booker, so it’s almost a given that he has playing prospects beyond college. That’s why everyone wants to land him so badly.

Defensive Back Recruit Cooper Barkate Gets Offer From Notre Dame

Much of the hype surrounding Cooper Barkate has surrounded his receiving skills.

Much of the hype surrounding Cooper Barkate has surrounded his receiving skills. After all, there are a few videos out there celebrating that aspect of his game. However, he is equally valued while playing in the secondary. Brian Polian and Marcus Freeman recognize this and want him at Notre Dame, where he could team up with Kyle Hamilton if Hamilton stays in South Bend through his senior season.

Barkate, who hails from Santa Ana, California, and plays at Mater Dei after spending his first two football seasons with St. Margaret’s Episcopal, has received plenty of offers already. Notre Dame is the 18th school to offer him an opportunity to suit up. Six of the eight Ivy League schools have reached out to him, so he obviously has the smarts to go to a prestigious college. The other offers he’s received are from Purdue, Nebraska, Kansas, Utah, Oregon, Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Hawaii, UNLV, Arizona State and Illinois State.

 

Notre Dame OT Commit Joey Tanona Selected for 2022 All-American Bowl

COVID-19 canceled this year’s All-American Bowl, but players already are being picked for the 2022 edition.

COVID-19 canceled this year’s All-American Bowl, but players already are being picked for the 2022 edition. It might seem strange when the game is almost a year away, but this pandemic has thrown norms out the window. That’s just fine for Notre Dame offensive tackle commit Joey Tanona because an honor’s an honor:

Tanona, who hails from Zionsville, Indiana, and weighs in at 6-foot 5 and 320 pounds, committed to the Irish on July 25. That decision was made after recruiting efforts from Tommy Rees and Jeff Quinn. He also received offers from LSU, Tennessee, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Kansas State and eight Big Ten schools.

Rivals lists Tanona as a four-star prospect and ranks him as the No. 5 player in all of Indiana. In October, the Indianapolis Colts published a story about him on their website. The expectations for this kid will be high, but he should be able to rise to the challenge.

Watch: Notre Dame Linebacker Commit Nolan Ziegler Makes Plays

Among the remaining participants in this Michigan high school football playoffs entering Saturday was Catholic Central.

Among the remaining participants in the Michigan high school football playoffs entering Saturday was Catholic Central. That team has Notre Dame linebacker commit Nolan Ziegler. During Saturday’s game against Davison, Ziegler showed why he’s heading to the next level:

Ziegler, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, committed to the Irish in August. He was recruited by Clark Lea and Jeff Quinn while also fielding offers from such schools as Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, Virginia Tech and Boston College. He has another year of high school, and new Irish defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman will have had a year under his belt by the time Ziegler arrives in South Bend, so there will be some stability with the defensive scheme at that point. In the meantime, he can continue to develop into a more complete player.

Swimmer Michael Flynn Commits to Notre Dame for 2022-23

Notre Dame’s men’s swimming and diving team now has four commits for the class of 2026.

Notre Dame’s men’s swimming and diving team now has four commits for the class of 2026. This became official after Michael Flynn of Brookfield, Illinois, made the following announcement:

“I am extremely humbled to announce my commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Notre Dame. I would like to thank all my coaches, teammates, friends, and family who have helped me get to where I am today. Go Irish ☘️”

Flynn, who swims for Fenwick and Lyons Aquatics, has joined the group of junior commits that already featured Jack Anderson, Tate Bacon and Dillon Edge. He specializes in freestyle events as evidenced by his third-place finish in the 500-meter freestyle (4 minutes, 29.06 seconds) and ninth-place finish in the 200 (1:40.63) at the Illinois state meet. He also competes in the breaststroke and individual medley.

Flynn will be a freshman at Notre Dame at the same time current Irish swimmer Liam Hutchinson is a senior. Like Flynn, Hutchinson hails from Fenwick and also specializes in the freestyle and individual medley. He placed third in the 500 freestyle four times in 2019-20.