Tag: Notre Dame recruiting

Notre Dame stay hot on recruiting trail, add 2026 LB, son of former NFL star

The Irish are once again on fire on the recruiting trail

It has become clear over the last few recruiting cycles that Notre Dame has targeted football family bloodlines.

The Irish have had multiple former, current and soon-to-be players whose fathers played in the NFL, and on Tuesday night added another one in 2026 linebacker [autotag]Thomas Davis Jr.[/autotag]

The son of Thomas Davis, the former NFL linebacker for the Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Football Team is one of the best prospects in the country, ranking as the No. 146 overall player according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Davis is the first defensive player for the Irish in the class, as he joins quarterback Noah Grubbs and wide receiver Dylan Faison in what looks to be another impressive collection of talent assembled by head coach Marcus Freeman.

Davis Jr. has an impressive offer list as well, as Clemson, Auburn, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State and a host of others were vying for his commitment as well.

Notre Dame releases a hype video with EPMD’s ‘You Gots to Chill’
Notre Dame football Head Coach Marcus Freeman arrives at the Marriott hotel ahead of the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on Dec. 24, 2023.

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Notre Dame makes the top group for 2026 4-star offensive lineman

The Irish are still in the hunt for one of the Midwests best offensive lineman

With the early signing period rapidly approaching, many teams like Notre Dame football are already looking to the 2026 class options.

One of those for the Irish is Michigan offensive lineman [autotag]Ben Nichols[/autotag], who trimmed his list down to nine schools recently. The 6-foot, 5-inch and 315-pounders remaining teams are a who’s who of college football which includes Alabama, Ohio State, Tennessee, Penn State, the Irish, and others.

It will be a highly competitive recruiting battle between his final nine, as the nation’s No. 234 overall recruit according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings has a difficult decision ahead of him.

Nichols hasn’t taken many visits this fall, but one of them was to South Bend, even though he was on hand for the loss to Northern Illinois. Hopefully the play of the Notre Dame offensive line has gotten his attention, as they were named as a Joe Moore Award semifinalist on Tuesday morning.

Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph, second from right, talks to offensive lineman Aamil Wagner (59) during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in South Bend.

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The flip is complete, Notre Dame adds a running back to its 2025 class

The Irish complete the flip

As we found out on Monday morning, it seemed like Notre Dame football had a great chance to flip Boston College 2025 running back commit [autotag]Nolan James[/autotag].

Well, it didn’t take long for that to happen, as the 5-foot, 11-inch and 200-pound back changed his commitment to the Irish on Monday evening. He’s the second running back in the class, joining Justin Thurman.

While being ranked as the nation’s No. 986 overall prospect according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, James shouldn’t be viewed as a fallback option. He is a quality prospect, one that holds a lower ranking due to the question of his position.

It no doubt that the visit this past weekend pushed James over the edge to verbal to Notre Dame, it was a raucous environment with Florida State in town for a prime time game.

You have to believe that this isn’t the end for flips in the class, as the Irish have other prospects they are working on to join the 2025 class.

Oct 4, 2024; Ramsey, New Jersey, United States; DePaul football at Don Bosco. DP #1 Nolan James Jr. avoids a tackle.

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Notre Dame football trending to flip 2025 Boston College commit

The Irish hosted the running back this past weekend, and it looks like it went well

Notre Dame football hosted multiple prospects over this past weekend, and by most reports, it was a smashing success for the Irish.

One of the visitors was New Jersey running back [autotag]Nolan James[/autotag], who committed to Boston College in December of last year. The 5-foot, 11-inch and 200-pound prospect is currently ranked as an athlete by the 247Sports Composite Rankings, as the No. 985 overall prospect.

The ranking shouldn’t matter much, as the Irish have shown the ability to find lower ranked prospects and make them into very good collegiate players. That could very well be the case with James, as 247Sports Tom Loy believes that he will eventually flip to the Irish.

Currently, Notre Dame has Justin Thurman in the 2025 class as the position, but typically bringing in two running backs in each cycle is a good idea. James would be a great addition to the Irish class.

Oct 4, 2024; Ramsey, New Jersey, United States; DePaul football at Don Bosco. DP #1 Nolan James Jr. avoids a tackle.

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Notre Dame is projected to land 2026 4-star Illinois edge rusher

The Irish won plenty this weekend

Not only was Notre Dame football successful on the field this weekend, they were a big hit with recruits.

As the biggest remaining home game left on the schedule, it made plenty of sense to bring in multiple prospects to see South Bend and witness what it’s like for a primetime game in Notre Dame Stadium.

The atmosphere and visit was enough for On3’s Steve Wiltfong to project 2026 Illinois defensive lineman [autotag]McHale Blade[/autotag] to eventually commit to the Irish. The 6-foot, 4-inch and 230-pound edge is ranked as the nation’s No. 124 overall prospect and 13th at his position according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Notre Dame has long been recruiting Blade, as they offered him a scholarship in March of this year. They also have done a great job in the state of Illinois, as there are three committed to the Irish in 2025 from the state.

At the moment, Notre Dame has two commitments in the 2026 cycle, quarterback Noah Grubbs and wide receiver Dylan Faison.

Nov 9, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman stands with his players for the Notre Dame Alma Mater after defeating the Florida State Seminoles at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

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2025 Notre Dame running back commit takes in Touchdown Jesus at night

Everyone appreciates this sight.

With Notre Dame about to play its first home game in almost a month, a bunch of recruits and commits are on campus for the weekend. Among them is 2025 three-star running back commit [autotag]Justin Thurman[/autotag], who made his decision at the start of August 2023.

Thurman, who hails from Tampa, Florida, is taking in the sights of what will be his home starting next year. One good thing about him is he understands that no matter who you are, visiting Touchdown Jesus is an absolute must when one sets foot on the Notre Dame campus. It’s one of those things that looks beautiful no matter what time of day or year it is.

Thurman took in this breathtaking sight Friday and posted about it on social media. He also used it as a battle cry for the Irish to defeat Florida State on Saturday. It’s perfectly fine that he did so because it hard not to use Touchdown Jesus for inspiration.

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LSU commit who is visiting Notre Dame this weekend is put on flip watch by 247Sports

This would be huge for the Irish’s 2025 recruiting class

If you didn’t know by now, LSU wide receiver commit [autotag]Derek Meadows[/autotag] will be making another visit to South Bend to see Notre Dame this weekend.

The Irish were in the 6-foot, 5-inch and 200-pound prospects final group before he chose the Tigers, and by all accounts they were viewed as the runner-up in his recruitment. The verbal hasn’t stopped Notre Dame from continuing to try for a flip, as 247Sports believes that is very much the case.

Garrett Stepien, who looked at some of the biggest recruiting visitors of this coming weekend (subscription required), noted that Meadows won’t be in Death Valley as LSU hosts Alabama in one of the bigger games on Saturday. It’s significant as this is a huge recruiting weekend for the Tigers, with one of its top commitments going elsewhere.

The nation’s No. 82 overall prospect according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings visited Michigan last weekend, as Meadows is clearly still thinking about where he will land. Hopefully this visit puts the Irish back in front and he ultimately signs with Notre Dame.

AP voter omitted ranking Notre Dame football, apologizes for mistake
Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman shown during the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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Notre Dame to have another big visitor this weekend vs. Florida State

Another big visit is expected to be on campus for the Irish

The list of prospects that will make the trip to South Bend this weekend as Notre Dame football hosts Florida State continues to grow.

Multiple 2025 players will be in town, but that isn’t the only class that the Irish coaching staff is focusing on. They are also looking at the 2026 cycle, and one of the top targets is California defensive lineman [autotag]Simote Katoanga[/autotag].

The 6-foot, 5-inch and 240-pound edge rusher will be making his third trip to see Notre Dame according to a report by Matt Freeman. The Irish made an offer to him in mid-June, which was part of a massive summer of offers for the nation’s No. 186 overall player according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Katoanga is high school teammates with another Notre Dame target, 2025 linebacker [autotag]Madden Faraimo[/autotag], who is also expected to be on campus this weekend. If the Irish are able to pull both of these stars from California, it would continue their recent success in the state.

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Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts in the fourth quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

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Report: Notre Dame to host Florida 2025 commit this weekend

Flip season is heating up for the Irish

While Notre Dame football does have the No. 14 overall class according to the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings, it is still looking to add a few more prospects to current class of 23 players.

There are multiple players that the Irish have focused in on as flip candidates, and other name emerged on Monday morning, Florida Gators defensive line commit [autotag]Jalen Wiggins[/autotag].

The 6-foot, 5-inch and 255-pound prospect made his decision to stay in-state in mid-January, but had yet to see South Bend before making a decision. According to Chad Simmons of On3, Wiggins will be taking an official visit to see Notre Dame host Florida State his weekend.

This would be a big flip if it does happen, as he is ranked as the nation’s No. 126 overall prospect according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. It’s never easy convincing a Sunshine State prospect to head North, but if Notre Dame does, it is going to be an impressive statement.

Could Irish DC Al Golden take head coaching job in the near future?
Sep 7, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish Defensive Coordinator Al Golden watches warnups before the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

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Watch: Notre Dame offensive line commit scores a 49-yard touchdown

The big man has got wheels

When Connecticut offensive lineman [autotag]Will Black[/autotag] committed to Notre Dame football, it seemed like the Irish found another diamond in the rough.

Initially, the 6-foot, 7-inch and 295-pound tackle was ranked as the No. 314 overall player when he made his decision to join the Irish. Fast forward to now, as Black has continued his rise among scouting services as he has jumped to the No. 42 ranked player according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

While we have seen plenty of highlights of Black pancaking defenders and opening up holes for his running backs, what we didn’t expect to see was him rumbling 49-yards for a touchdown.

The play wasn’t on accident either, as it was a designed screen to the huge tackle, who showed he has soft hands, vision and clearly the athletic ability to race down the sidelines for an impressive scoring play.

Over the last few recruiting cycles, Notre Dame has consistently found offensive lineman that can contribute very early in their college career, which is not normal. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Black force his way into the rotation early in his Irish career.

Marcus Freeman knows what it will take for ND to reach the next level
Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman greets players before the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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