Notre Dame trending for pair of 4-star recruits out of Texas

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff have gotten the Fighting Irish off to a fast start with their 2024 recruiting class. The class stands as the No. 7 class in the country with 17 commitments and two more four-star prospects out of Texas may be joining the Fighting Irish.

According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM), Notre Dame holds commanding leads for Lufkin (Texas) four-star running back Kedren Young (81%) and Cibolo (Texas) Samuel Clemens On3 four-star cornerback Paul Mencke Jr. (86.2%).

Both players arrived in South Bend on June 3 for official visits. The trip was a first for Young while it was the second for Mencke Jr. who also visited in April.

“It was the best facility and football atmosphere I’ve been around,” Mencke Jr. told On3 following the April visit. “It’s very high intensity. It will prepare me for where I want to go … playing in NFL defenses.

“People were already hyped up from the jump. I was like, ‘Whoa, for 6:30 a.m., this is a lot.’ I’m a big feeler — so that was really good and made me feel good about myself. They treated me like no other. It was amazing.”  

For more Notre Dame recruiting intel, check out Blue and Gold.

Pulling Young and Mencke away from the Lonestar State would be major wins for Notre Dame

Young is the No. 182 overall prospect and No. 12 running back in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 9 player in Maryland.

On3 rates Young higher than other recruiting services, according to the Industry Comparison. Per the 2024 On300, he is the No. 82 overall prospect, No. 8 running back in the country and No. 18 player in Texas.

Meanwhile, Mencke Jr. is the No. 409 overall prospect and No. 36 safety in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He is also the No. 69 player in Texas.

Like Young, On3 is significantly higher on Mencke Jr. according to the Industry Comparison. Per the 2024 On300, he is the No. 138 overall prospect, No. 10 safety in the country and No. 27 player in Texas.

Both players have two official visits locked in over the next few weeks. Mencke Jr. will head Duke (June 16) and Stanford (June 23) while Young will stay in-state with visits to Texas Tech (June 11) and Texas A&M (June 16).