Why 2025 ATH Dallas Golden is already intimately familiar with Notre Dame
Rising sophomore Dallas Golden wasn’t the only one excited when the wide receiver and defensive back earned an offer to play football at Notre Dame last weekend.
Golden, who attends Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep, grew up in a household where the Irish were top of mind. His father, Pelham, is a big Notre Dame fan.
“I’ve known about Notre Dame for a long time,” the younger Golden said. “I grew up watching Notre Dame. My dad is from Tampa, but he just likes the school.”
More recently, Golden has become even more familiar with Irish football. Three of his current or former teammates are either at Notre Dame now or committed to Irish programs. Freshman linebacker Tre Reader is already in South Bend. He enrolled as a preferred walk-on in June. EDGE Keon Keeley and baseball player Troy Reader, Tre’s younger brother, are 2023 football and baseball commits, respectively. The younger Reader is currently the Berkeley Prep quarterback as well.
“Those are my buddies,” Golden said. “Great teammates. Great players. I love them.”
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Like his father and teammates, the 6-1, 165-pound Florida native is also quite interested in what Notre Dame has to offer, although it remains very early in his recruitment.
“It’s a blessing to have (the offer) at such a young age,” Golden said. “My family and I were excited. My coach was excited. I worked hard for it. It was a great feeling to have the offer.”
Notre Dame is recruiting Golden as an athlete at this point, and the 2025 class has yet to earn rankings. He enjoys playing on both sides of the ball, and he has yet to decide which position is his preference.
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“I’m not sure which side I’m better at,” Golden said. “I’ve got a little bit of time to think about it.”
In addition to the Irish, Golden has Power Five offers from Florida State and Pittsburgh. He visited the in-state Seminoles in June, and he really liked Tallahassee. Due in part to that trip, an early look at the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine signals Florida State is the favorite (87.1 percent).
“The coaches showed a lot of love, and the facilities were great,” Golden said. “Honestly, just everything overall is great about Florida State.”
There won’t be any more visits in Golden’s near future, as he is focused on helping his team make it to another state championship this fall. The Buccaneers made their first appearance in the Class 3A final last fall but fell to powerhouse Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna by a score of 21-0. Golden is now determined to right that wrong.
“I have no specific goals for myself right now,” Golden said. “I just want to have a great winning season with my teammates.”
