Notre Dame lands 4-Star RB Jayden Limar

Shortly after visiting Notre Dame for its spring game in April, Jayden Limar set his commitment date. He knew coming off that visit to South Bend that he was ready to be part of the Irish.

Actually, before he took that visit, the No. 265 prospect in the On3 Consensus had thoughts of committing to Notre Dame. The running back out of Lake Stevens (Wash.) told Marcus Freeman about his decision days before the game.

That visit just gave Limar closure and let him know he was ready.

“I told Notre Dame about my decision on April 9,” Limar told On3. “I went to the spring game to kind of make sure. Once I got there and took that visit, it really cleared it up for me. I knew I wanted to commit and I was happy about my decision.”

The Irish beat out the likes of Arizona and Oregon for the No. 16 running back in the country. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound four-star felt good about the Wildcats and the Ducks, but his feelings about the school in South Bend were different.

“The staff is amazing and how they recruited me was just different. A lot of schools are in your face about NIL, but Notre Dame is not doing that. They are about you. They show there are opportunities for the NIL, but it is about you, the school, and being the best student-athlete first. I love that.”

Limar is a big believer in the staff he will get to play for on the next level. Freeman has created quite a buzz since taking over at Notre Dame and he is putting together a top recruiting class.

“Coach Freeman is different from what Notre Dame has had in the past. He is younger, he has more energy, and everyone is excited about the change he brings. His genuine personality excites a lot of people, but he is a great coach too. He makes things exciting and I am looking forward to playing for him.”

Freeman will be the leader, but Limar will spend a lot of time with new running backs coach Deland McCullough. Limar was leaning toward Notre Dame before the hire, then when he met McCullough, it was a wrap.

“Coach McCullough is great,” Limar said. “He has a great resume, so I loved that right away. After the first time we talked, I felt good about it. By the third conversation, I was done. I knew it was Notre Dame.

“He is a straight-shooter, he is honest, he doesn’t hold back, and he is the type of coach that I want to play for. After watching my film, he called me and talked about what I can do, what I can work on, and how I would fit into his backfield. We clicked right away and he is going to help me a lot.”

Limar will be back in South Bend this summer, then again in the fall. He has already visited twice and he is excited about his future.

“I get to play for great coaches in front of great people. I really love it there. Everyone is friendly. The campus is great. The people show love.

“I was there before and kids already knew me. It shows how much the people at Notre Dame love football. It is a great place for me.”