2025 CB Cree Thomas commits to Notre Dame

Back on March 17, Notre Dame offered Cree Thomas. The 2025 cornerback out of Phoenix Brophy College Prep ended up with a dozen offers, but he only needed that one from the Irish.

After taking three visits to South Bend, getting a feel for the culture and developing relationships with Marcus Freeman, Mike Mickens, Al Golden and Chad Bowden, Thomas has committed to the Irish.

“Notre Dame has shown so much love,” Thomas told On3. “That was big for me. The coaches and all the people connected to the university showed so much love. Notre Dame recruited me harder than any other school.

“They made it clear that they wanted me as a person and not just an athlete. That always stuck out. I always felt that family feel with them too. I was looking for that home feeling and Notre Dame always made me feel at home and comfortable.”

Thomas chose Notre Dame over Arizona and Wisconsin. He took visits to both, but the feeling in South Bend was different.

“I love it up there. The atmosphere was a big part of my decision. I have been to two games (Pittsburgh and USC) and both were great visits. After the USC game, I kind of knew Notre Dame was going to be my choice. The commitments are tight, I love the environment, and after that visit, I sat down with my dad for a long talk and made the decision. My dream always has been to play football on the biggest stage and I get to do that at Notre Dame.”

He felt right at home.

“The campus, the buildings and the people give it an amazing culture. It reminds me of Brophy Prep. I am a man of faith and I go to a catholic school now. I get to go grow my faith at Notre Dame now. The feelings I have at Brophy, I have at Notre Dame.”

The relationships set Notre Dame apart for Thomas

Numerous coaches were involved with Thomas. Mickens was the leader, but they all played a role in Thomas’ decision.

“Coach Mickens has been great,” Thomas said. “He has been there from the beginning and made me feel wanted. As soon as they offered, we started building our relationship and it was easy. My connection with Coach Mickens was big.

“Coach Bowden was important too. He has been cool and walked me through the process. Coach Freeman and Coach Golden were involved too. That meant a lot and they were all big reasons why I chose Notre Dame.”

The effort they put into his recruitment showed Thomas how important he was. They got to know him off the field first and that factored in as well. Thomas is excited to play for the Notre Dame coaches and he is a big believer in Freeman.

“I love Coach Freeman. He is one of the best coaches I have talked to. He is a great leader and he can take Notre Dame to where I want it to be and where everyone wants it to be.

“I love who he is and his energy and he is a super-genuine guy. He has so many things going on, but he takes time to care about his program, his players and his recruits. Coach Freeman is an impressive guy.”