Four-star safety Ayden Pouncey commits to Notre Dame over LSU, Michigan, others

Notre Dame’s 2026 recruiting class remains on a roll, with the latest commitment coming from Winter Park (Fla.) safety Ayden Pouncey.

The four-star prospect added Notre Dame to his scholarship chart last September, and the Irish made his top-10 schools list that he announced in January, but Pouncey hadn’t made a trip to South Bend yet. His first visit took place at the end of March, and that trip went so well that Notre Dame emerged as the leader in his recruitment.

The 6-2.5, 165-pounder returned to Notre Dame April 23, and the second visit within a month was a very encouraging sign that a commitment could be coming. Pouncey informed the Notre Dame staff of his decision while in South Bend and announced it April 26.

“I really thought I wasn’t going to like Notre Dame,” Pouncey said after his visit this week. “I didn’t know about the area and I didn’t think it would be a good fit, but it was a lot different than I thought it would be. That is why I wanted to get back for a second visit. I really liked it, so I wanted to make sure I got another look.

“What makes them different is that, outside of football, the education is second to none. It is one of the best in the country and you can be set for life with that degree. At Notre Dame, you are not just developed on the field but off the field also.”

The Notre Dame staff did a tremendous job in Pouncey’s recruitment, led by a duo from Dayton, Ohio.

“I like Coach [Mike] Mickens a lot,” Pouncey recently said. “We went over the fit and the specifics on how they would coach me. That was cool. Coach [Marcus] Freeman is a player’s coach and I love that. He treats all of his players the same. Notre Dame has a great tradition too; it is a good school, a good place and the players all want the same thing.”

Pouncey ranks as the nation’s No. 138 overall player and No. 12 safety according to the 2026 On3 Industry ranking. He’s the No. 20 prospect in the Sunshine State.

It’s quite the impressive recruiting win for the Irish, considering all his family ties to Florida. He admittedly grew up a Miami fan and was very high on the likes of Michigan and LSU as well. Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Oregon and Texas A&M were other schools on his long offer sheet.

Pouncey becomes Notre Dame’s 12th commitment of the 2026 cycle, a group that ranks No. 4 nationally according to the Industry Ranking football Team Recruiting Rankings. The Irish have a blue-chip ratio of 75 percent.

He’s the second defensive back commit of Notre Dame’s group, joining Chattanooga (Tenn.) McCallie School cornerback Chaston Smith.

The Ayden Pouncey file

On the field, Pouncey has gotten it done on both sides of the ball. During his junior season in 2024, he posted 20 tackles, 3 pass break ups and 2 interceptions, while posting 12 receptions for 202 yards with 4 touchdowns. He was named to the All-Metro first-team for his efforts last year.

Across three varsity seasons at the prep level, Pouncey has logged 35 receptions for 572 yards with 7 touchdowns, plus 54 tackles, 7 interceptions, 6 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery and 1 forced fumble.

The Pouncey family is familiar with Notre Dame. In the past decade, the Fighting Irish have offered three brothers from the family based in the greater Orlando area.

Jordan Pouncey, a class of 2017 wide receiver prospect, committed to Notre Dame in June 2016 just to back off his pledge about six months later. He signed with Texas and played for the Longhorns for a couple years before finishing his career with the Florida Gators. In the 2020 recruiting cycle, the Irish had an offer out to class of 2020 cornerback Ethan Pouncey, but he ended up picking the Gators. He transferred to Georgia Southern and is set to play his final collegiate season in the Peach State.

The third time was the charm for the Irish among the Pouncey brothers.

Pouncey’s second cousins are Maurkice and Mike Pouncey, twin brothers who played in the NFL for the Steelers and Dolphins, respectively. They both played in college for the Florida Gators as well.