National Signing Day: Notre Dame’s 2024 class by the numbers

By Todd D. Burlage

5 — Top-100 rated recruits signed in this 2024 class on National Signing Day, which ties for the most in the last 10 recruiting cycles for Notre Dame, according to the On3.com Industry Ranking.

Five-star wide receiver Cam Williams (No. 29 overall) headlines the list, followed by four-star players offensive tackle Guerby Lambert (No. 37); quarterback CJ Carr (No. 60); linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (No. 63); and defensive edge Bryce Young (No. 84) as the four others at the head of the 2024 class. 

The only other Notre Dame recruiting class to feature five top-100 players the last decade came in 2021 when offensive tackle Blake Fisher (No. 55); offensive guard Rocco Spindler (No. 65); wide receiver Lorenzo Styles Jr. (No. 70); quarterback Tyler Buchner (No. 94); and wide receiver Prince Kollie (100) came on board. 

4 — Defensive linemen signed in the 2024 class. 

Continuing to flex its recruiting muscle at these critical positions, defensive line coach Al Washington landed two four-star and two three-star linemen. 

Young (No. 8 edge) and Logan Thomas (No. 17 edge) lead the group as a pair of four-star linemen.

Three-star players Sean Sevillano (No. 52 defensive lineman) and Cole Mullins (No. 56 edge) round out this talented group. 

A position that Notre Dame struggled for years to properly recruit before Brian Kelly and his defensive recruiting guru Mike Elston arrived in 2010, the Irish defensive line has provided more depth and elite talent than any other position group over the last decade-plus.  

4 — Offensive linemen in this recruiting class, tying defensive linemen for the greatest number of players among any position group, not surprisingly. 

Realizing that offensive line recruits typically take longer to develop physically compared to those at other position groups — and portal fortification at this position group isn’t ideal — keeping this pipeline rolling with big numbers every year is critical to program success. 

It’s unlikely that any of the four incoming freshmen will crack the lineup in 2024, and this class doesn’t provide the star power compared to the 2021 group that included Joe Alt, Fisherand Spindler three years ago. 

But this year’s four-man group still includes three four-star players with Lambert, Styles Prescod and Anthonie Knapp, and one three-star with Peter Jones. 

13 — The number of states represented in this year’s recruiting class. 

This far-reaching haul nicely illustrates Notre Dame’s broad appeal and how wide its recruiting net stretches. 

From Massachusetts in the Northeast; to Florida and Georgia in the Deep South; to California and Arizona out West; to Missouri and Nebraska in the plains, Notre Dame’s recruiting class comes from all over the map.

North Carolina (3), Ohio (3), California (2), Texas (2), Indiana (2), and Georgia (2) are the six states that provided multiple players. 

Typically Florida, Illinois, Michigan and often Pennsylvania — which all provided one recruit apiece this year — bring multiple players in a cycle. But that wasn’t the case this year. 

As another data point to Notre Dame’s wide recruiting reach, Notre Dame’s 23 recruits come from an average distance of 644.5 miles. Georgia’s came from 503.9 miles, Ohio State’s from 436.5 miles and LSU’s from 191.3 miles. 

56.5 — Notre Dame’s blue-chip percentage ratio with its 2024 recruiting class is a respectable percentage but not an elite one.

In fact, it’s the lowest percentage in the last three seasons and the second lowest the last six recruiting cycles for the Irish.

The blue-chip ratio measures the amount of four- and five-star recruits in proportion to the total number of recruits in a class.

The 23-man Irish haul — which entered National Signing Day ranked No. 11 nationally according to On3.com — features Williams as the lone five-star recruit along with 12 four-star players.

Notre Dame ranks 14th nationally in blue-chip ratio. It rated fifth in 2023 (78.3) and it was fifth in 2022 (77.3).