Marcus Freeman explains there being less drama with signing 2024 recruiting class

Last year, Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame went into National Signing Day with plenty of questions. Keon Keeley had already flipped to Alabama, and Peyton Bowen committed to Oregon before signing with Oklahoma while the Fighting Irish tried to lock down the rest of the 2023 class.

Things were much different this time around. While speculation continued about what five-star wide receiver Cam Williams might do, he and the 22 other Notre Dame commits signed their letters of intent. There was no worrying about last-minute flips as the day went along. The Irish announced their full class at 10:22 a.m. ET — meaning Freeman held on to everyone.

It was a stark contrast to 364 days prior to Wednesday’s signing day. The difference, Freeman said, came down to how the staff continued their pursuit of committed players in their second full cycle.

“I think it starts with the relationship,” Freeman said Wednesday. “It starts with, you can’t relax when a kid’s committed. You have to continue to pour time in building that relationship with trust. But it’s also the ability to continue to sell Notre Dame and remind them up front, ‘This is what you’re choosing. Don’t choose this place because of a coach, don’t choose this place because of just what you believe in NIL.’

“There’s so many different reasons to choose this place, and when they make the decision, we remind them of that.”

Williams was the crown jewel of the class, checking in as the No. 29 overall recruit, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. The centerpiece of it all, though, was four-star quarterback CJ Carr. He committed to Notre Dame in June 2022 and helped set the table for the rest of the group, and Williams committed 20 days later.

Marcus Freeman and the Irish were building momentum, but they also had to look to sustain it. As a result, the staff wanted the members of the 2024 class to build relationships with each other while they went through the rest of the recruiting process. Because it was such a tight-knit group, Freeman said that was another key factor in keeping the class together.

It paid off. Notre Dame wrapped up signing day with the nation’s No. 10-ranked class, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking.

“I think the other thing is the core. Those guys able to develop that relationship with each other. I always tell them, don’t make the decision based off things that can change. Coaching can change, uniforms can change. A lot can change. But the majority of your class, those relationships will always be there. So continue to help each other and build the relationship, and that’s what we did.”