Meet the Notre Dame class of 2023 signees
The first Wednesday in February had long been a day for Notre Dame fans to learn about the recruits their beloved team would be signing, but the addition of the early signing period a few years back changed the game.
Notre Dame signed 24 prospects in December. Below is a look at those players.
We have provided background info on each of the signees below (in chronological order from the newest pledge to the oldest).
Portsmouth (Va.) Churchland athlete Brandyn Hillman
Height: 6-1
Weight: 190
Commitment date: December 7, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 206 NATL, No. 6 ATH and No. 5 player from Virginia.
Entering his senior season of high school, Hillman only had one scholarship offer: Norfolk State of the FCS. A slew of offers came in from FBS programs when film of Hillman playing safety hit the mainstream. His primary position at Notre Dame is unknown. He’d like a shot at quarterback. He could play running back and/or receiver. He’d be a heck of a rover or safety too.
Hillman’s athleticism was on full display this fall. He passed for 1,312 yards and 11 touchdowns and ran for 1,236 yards and 22 more scores. He won his second straight Region 4A offensive player of the year award in the state of Virginia. He was also a second-team all-region defensive back and punter. The 6-1, 190-pound Hillman has a 6-5 wingspan. In the spring circuit prior to his senior season, Hillman recorded a 40-inch vertical jump and a 4.7-second 40-yard dash.
Frisco (Texas) Reedy wide receiver Kaleb Smith
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
Commitment date: December 1, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 524 NATL, No. 79 WR and No. 85 player from Texas.
Smith committed to Texas Tech back in February of his junior year, and the Red Raiders were the only school he had announced an offer from until Notre Dame extended good news to him in late October. He decommitted from Texas Tech right before taking an official visit to Notre Dame and saw the Irish upset previously unbeaten Clemson. Smith mulled things over for a few weeks before deciding to lock in his Fighting Irish pledge.
Smith was named to the 2021 Texas District 5-5A Division I All-District second-team. He’s also played baseball and competed in track & field during his prep career.
Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard West offensive lineman Chris Terek
Height: 6-5
Weight: 310
Commitment date: November 27, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 515 NATL, No. 49 IOL and No. 8 player from Illinois.
Terek was happily committed to Wisconsin even after Paul Chryst was removed from his position as the Badgers’ head coach. Wisconsin decided to go with Luke Fickell as its next head coach rather than retaining Jim Leonard who held the role in an interim capacity, and this move meant the end for Terek’s time as a Badgers’ pledge. On the same day news broke of Fickell being hired, Terek announced his flip to Notre Dame. The Irish offered him in October, and he unofficially visited for the Stanford game. Terek is from the same high school that produced former Irish offensive lineman and current assistant offensive line coach Chris Watt.
He earned 2022 Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 8A first-team all-state honors. Terek was named the West Suburban Conference top offensive lineman and was listed on the West Suburban Silver All-Conference team.
Hendersonville (Tenn.) Pope John Paul II quarterback Kenny Minchey
Height: 6-2.5
Weight: 215
Commitment date: November 22, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 170 NATL, No. 14 QB and No. 3 player from Tennessee.
After a long search with many twists and turns, Notre Dame finally landed its quarterback commit for the class in Minchey, who was formerly committed to Pittsburgh. He picked up an offer from Notre Dame at the end of July but was firm with his pledge to the Panthers at that time. The Irish staff respected that but continued to keep in touch in case Minchey had a change of heart, which he did later in the fall. Minchey decommitted from Pitt ahead of his Notre Dame official visit, and locked in his new pledge soon afterwards.
During his shortened senior season that included five full games, Minchey completed 65 of 94 passes for 1,007 yards with 15 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He added 43 rushing yards on 11 carries. Minchey was a finalist for the 2021 Tennessee Titans Division II, Class 3A Mr. Football Award. He was named to the 2022 Elite 11, which was determined by junior film and performance at the event’s finals.
St. Louis Christian Brothers running back Jeremiyah Love
Height: 5-11
Weight: 190
Commitment date: October 15, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 77 NATL, No. 5 RB and No. 2 player from Missouri.
Love committed to Notre Dame over offers from the likes of Alabama, Michigan, Missouri and Texas A&M. His first offer came during the summer of 2021 from Missouri, but his recruiting process didn’t blow up until a couple months after his junior season concluded. Notre Dame offered Love a scholarship Feb. 28, and he visited South Bend for the first time a couple weeks later. He’s visited Notre Dame a total of four times, including the Irish vs. Stanford matchup, and Love committed to ND just a few hours before kickoff. Other schools made a run at him as signing day approached, but he was all locked in with the Irish.
During his junior campaign, Love carried the ball 95 times and totaled 996 rushing yards and 14 scores. He caught 11 passes for 103 yards in the 2021 season, helping lead Christian Brothers to a Missouri 6A state championship triumph. The Missouri Football Coaches Association named Love to its first-team all-state offense. The MFCA also listed him on its all-state academic first-team.
Woodberry Forest (Va.) High defensive lineman Armel Mukam
Height: 6-3.5
Weight: 250
Commitment date: August 24, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 468 NATL, No. 52 DL and No. 11 player from Virginia.
Mukam made his decision to pick the Fighting Irish without ever seeing campus but finally got his firsthand experience in South Bend in November for the Boston College game. Mukam was committed to Stanford before flipping his pledge to the Irish, and and it came completely out of the blue. Mukam never announced that he even held an offer from Notre Dame, and there were no leaks of his decision leading up to his commitment. From what he knew about the Irish football program and the relationship he had built with the staff over a short amount of time, he knew he wanted to pick Notre Dame.
During his junior season, Mukam posted 41 total stops, 8 tackles for loss and 6 sacks, according to The Daily Progress. The Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association named Mukam to its first-team all-state defense. He was also named a team captain ahead of the start of his senior season.
Cincinnati Lakota West safety Ben Minich
Height: 5-11.5
Weight: 185
Commitment date: August 5, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 302 NATL, No. 27 S and No. 9 player from Ohio.
Minich‘s commit came together quickly, as he didn’t hear from Notre Dame until the start of summer and informed the staff of his decision to commit less than two months later. He camped for the Irish staff in late June and stayed in close contact with them over the next few weeks before receiving an offer in late July. He visited campus and committed to the Irish staff the next morning. Minich picked the Irish over Kentucky, Oklahoma, Stanford and others.
During Minich’s junior season, he posted 45 tackles and two interceptions – returning one for a 76-yard touchdown — in helping lead Lakota West to an 11-2 record. Offensively, he caught 16 passes for 250 yards and five scores. Minich ran a blazing 10.47 100-meter dash in May — which broke his own school record — and scored a near-perfect 33 on his ACT test, which is in the 98th percentile nationally. He also has a grade-point average of over 4.0.
Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab linebacker Jaiden Ausberry
Height: 6-0.5
Weight: 202
Commitment date: August 4, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 183 NATL, No. 18 LB and No. 9 player from Louisiana.
Ausberry‘s father, Verge Ausberry, was a linebacker for LSU in the early 1990s and currently serves as the Tigers’ executive deputy director of athletics and executive director of external relations. Ausberry’s high school resides on LSU’s campus, too. But Notre Dame was able to quite literally go into Brian Kelly‘s backyard and pluck out a legacy recruit. Alabama, Michigan and Texas A&M were also top contenders for the four-star recruit.
Ausberry played a key role in University Lab’s undefeated season in 2021, capturing the Louisiana Division II state championship. The Louisiana Football Coaches Association and Louisiana Sports Writers Association both listed Ausberry on their respective first-team defense lists. He played in the 2023 Under Armour All-America Game in January.
Austin (Texas) Westlake wide receiver Jaden Greathouse
Height: 6-2
Weight: 219
Commitment date: July 15, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 157 NATL, No. 25 WR and No. 31 player from Texas.
Notre Dame went into the Texas Longhorns’ backyard to land Greathouse, one of the most productive high school receivers you’ll find. Notre Dame made his final four along with Oklahoma, Texas and South Carolina, and his official visit in June put the Irish ahead of the other programs. He told Blue & Gold at the time of his commitment that he’s completely locked in with his Irish pledge, and he signed with the Irish in December. Greathouse enrolled in January.
In helping lead Westlake to a 16-0 record in 2021, Greathouse caught 66 passes for 1,274 yards with 20 touchdowns. The Chaparrals captured the Texas 6A Division II state championship, and Greathouse caught 7 passes for 236 yards and 3 scores in the 40-21 triumph over Denton (Texas) Guyer.
He was named MVP of the state title game and holds every major receiving record at Westlake High. He set the record for most receiving yards in a Texas 6A state championship game. Through his first three seasons, Greathouse has snagged 182 passes for 3,134 yards and 43 touchdowns. Greathouse was named to the 2021 MaxPreps High School Football Junior All-America Team.
St. Louis De Smet cornerback Christian Gray
Height: 6-0.5
Weight: 175
Commitment date: July 4, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 112 NATL, No. 11 CB and No. 4 player from Missouri.
Notre Dame landed its top cornerback target on Independence Day, ending a long, back-and-forth recruitment. Gray’s process was long viewed as a battle between Notre Dame and Ohio State, but LSU entered his recruitment in January and made its mark. Tigers’ head coach Brian Kelly hired Robert Steeples as his cornerbacks coach; Steeples was Gray’s high school coach from 2019-20. But his relationships on the Irish staff were very strong and the academic component of Notre Dame was crucial.
Per STL Today, Gray posted 34 tackles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions in 10 games as a junior. He also added a 30-yard rushing touchdown and three kickoff return scores, helping lead De Smet to an 8-3 record. Gray was a first-team 2021 All-Metro Catholic Conference performer.
Folsom (Calif.) High wide receiver Rico Flores Jr.
Height: 6-1
Weight: 195
Commitment date: July 3, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 238 NATL, No. 35 WR and No. 18 player from California.
Flores had a top-three schools list of Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State, and all it took for him was one visit to South Bend to know that it’s where he wanted to call home for his college days. The All-American pass catcher is a highly productive, skilled recruit who has the opportunity to play very early in his Notre Dame career.
He had an outstanding junior season, recording 81 receptions for 1,157 yards and 11 touchdowns in a 15-game season. Flores made the 2021 MaxPreps All Sac-Joaquin Section Football first-team offense.
Houston The Kinkaid School cornerback Micah Bell
Height: 5-11
Weight: 170
Commitment date: July 1, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 262 NATL, No. 32 CB and No. 48 player from Texas
Notre Dame’s football team got a lot faster when Bell announced his commitment to the Irish over Baylor, Harvard, Michigan State, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas and others. Bell was named the 2022 Texas Track & Field Private School Male Track Athlete of the Year. He set Southwest Preparatory Conference records in the 100-meter race at 10.46 seconds and 200-meter race at 20.89 seconds.
Based on some of the schools who there was mutual interest in, Bell is clearly a strong student and talented football player. Those two aspects were key in his decision to pick the Fighting Irish.
Rock Island (Ill.) Alleman offensive tackle Charles Jagusah
Height: 6-6
Weight: 300
Commitment date: June 10, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 53 NATL, No. 6 OT and No. 1 player from Illinois.
Notre Dame landed an On3 five-star offensive tackle when Jagusah announced his pledge to the Irish over Arkansas, Michigan and Missouri. He’s one of five offensive line signees for Notre Dame in the class. The Irish have signed five offensive linemen in the past two cycles as well.
Jagusah had a perfect 41-0 season in the heavyweight class in Illinois and was the 2021 champion in the class A state tournament. He was named the 2022 Quad-City Times Male Athlete of the Year. He was the first non-senior to be named the Male Athlete of the Year in more than a decade, per the QC Times.
Topeka (Kan.) Hayden interior offensive lineman Joe Otting
Height: 6-4
Weight: 270
Commitment date: June 7, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 386 NATL, No. 24 IOL and No. 4 player from Kansas.
Otting’s recruitment with the Fighting Irish came together pretty quickly and without drama. He grew up loving Notre Dame, received an offer from the Irish in May, camped for the staff the first weekend of June at the Lineman’s Challenge and announced his pledge a few days later. Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Baylor and Minnesota are among the other schools that were after Otting.
KHSAA Covered and Sports In Kansas list him on their respective 2021 Kansas All-Class 3A first-team offensive line. He’s on the second-team offensive line for the 2021 All-Gannett Kansas High School Football Teams. Otting was also listed in the inaugural TopSports.news Top 22 All-Shawnee County football team following his junior campaign.
Belmont (N.C.) South Point offensive tackle Sullivan Absher
Height: 6-6
Weight: 297
Commitment date: May 13, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 266 NATL, No. 18 OT and No. 8 player from North Carolina.
Some pundits felt that Absher was leaning towards Clemson, but it was actually Notre Dame that held a lead for the impressive offensive tackle prospect for much of the calendar year. While he was wanting to stretch his recruitment into the fall, Absher knew that he wanted to play for the Fighting Irish during his spring game visit in April. He committed to Notre Dame a few weeks later.
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Absher was named to the 2021 Big South 3A first-team all-conference team. He helped pave the way for South Point to reach the 2021 North Carolina 3A state semifinals as a No. 16 seed. The Red Raiders finished the season 11-4 with their run-heavy offense, rushing for 3,973 yards and 50 touchdowns.
Hagerstown (Md.) St. James School defensive lineman Devan Houstan
Height: 6-5
Weight: 270
Commitment date: May 7, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 248 NATL, No. 33 DL and No. 6 player from Maryland.
Notre Dame beat out the likes of Michigan, Northwestern, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Wake Forest for Houstan. Houstan, who is actually from Mississauga, Ontario in Canada, only needed one visit to know that Notre Dame was the place for him. Houstan enrolled at Notre Dame in January.
Houstan was named to the 2021 All-Mid-Atlantic Conference team for his efforts as a junior. He recorded 50 tackles (8.0 for loss), 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in leading St. James School to a 7-1 record. He was also listed on the 2021 Washington County Athletics Association first-team defense. He received the Yellott Award, which goes to his county’s top defensive lineman. Houstan’s older brother, Caleb, averaged 10 points and four rebounds per game for the Michigan basketball team in 2021 and now plays for the Orlando Magic.
West Roxbury (Mass.) Catholic Memorial defensive lineman Boubacar Traore
Height: 6-4
Weight: 254
Commitment date: April 27, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 208 NATL, No. 24 DL and No. 4 player from Massachusetts.
Traore committed to Boston College back in August of 2020 when he was just a sophomore and held onto that pledge until his decommitment March 12. At that point, it seemed like just a matter of time before he’d end up on Notre Dame’s commitment list. The Irish offered him in the fall of 2021 and built a strong connection with him. He committed to the Irish during his first visit to South Bend in late April.
Traore helped lead Catholic Memorial to a 13-0 season in 2021 capped off by a Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 2 championship — the program’s first in 43 years. He made 40 stops and 10 sacks. He battled injury during his senior year and only played in a few games.
Pfafftown (N.C.) Reagan offensive lineman Sam Pendleton
Height: 6-4
Weight: 295
Commitment date: April 25, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 425 NATL, No. 32 IOL and No. 15 player from North Carolina.
Sam Pendleton announced a top-five schools list of Clemson, Michigan, N.C. State, Penn State and Virginia Tech on Feb. 1. Notre Dame offered him about six weeks later and instantly became a contender. He set a visit to see South Bend April 8, and it was his only trip to Notre Dame before his commitment later that month. The high-level combination of offensive line tradition and academics at Notre Dame made it a slam-dunk decision for Pendleton.
Pendleton was named to the 2021 Central Piedmont Conference All-Conference Football Team. He was also listed as a 2021 HSOT North Carolina All-State football first-team performer. Reagan High went 8-3 in 2021, and Pendleton helped pave the way for the Raiders to rush for 2,338 yards and 25 touchdowns on 307 carries as a team. Reagan High averaged 212.5 yards per game and 7.6 yards per carry.
Round Rock (Texas) Stony Point wide receiver Braylon James
Height: 6-3
Weight: 174
Commitment date: April 19, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 138 NATL, No. 23 WR and No. 27 player from Texas.
Notre Dame landing a pledge from four-star pass catcher Braylon James is a big deal. The Irish have struggled building strong depth and talent in the receiver room, and James helps the Irish in both departments right away. It was a strong recruiting win for the new position coach Chansi Stuckey.
James visited Notre Dame during the weekend of March 18 for the first time. He was leaning towards the Irish going into the weekend, and the Lone Star State product informed the staff during the visit that he’d be committing to them. He made that news public April 19.
James was named to the Texas All-District 26-6A first-team offense for his efforts in 2021. In 10 games as a junior last fall, James caught 47 passes for 568 yards and six touchdowns. He made 39 receptions for 419 yards and five scores as a sophomore. He is committed to playing in the 2023 Under Armour All-America Game.
Lawrence (Mass.) Central Catholic linebacker Preston Zinter
Height: 6-2
Weight: 220
Commitment date: Feb. 12, 2022
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 473 NATL, No. 51 LB and No. 6 player from Massachusetts.
Zinter visited Notre Dame as many times as he saw local Boston College, just to give folks an idea of how much he valued getting out to South Bend. He was at Notre Dame twice last summer, saw the Irish knock off USC 31-16 in 2021 and made it back at the end of January for the visit that sealed the deal. It was a full staff effort in recruiting Zinter, and the lead recruiter was analyst Nick Lezynski, who actually took a position at Vanderbilt the day that Zinter committed to the Irish. Still, Zinter has remained solid with Notre Dame and signed with the Irish in December.
Zinter, who was the 2022 and 2021 Merrimack Valley Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the Massachusetts Super 26 all-state team, held offers from the likes of Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.
Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean linebacker Drayk Bowen
Height: 6-2
Weight: 215
Commitment date: Nov. 3, 2021
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 103 NATL, No. 9 linebacker and No. 2 player from Indiana.
When Notre Dame offered Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean linebacker Drayk Bowen back on Feb. 12, 2021, it seemed like just a matter of time before the four-star recruit would eventually choose the Fighting Irish. While that ended up being true, it wasn’t as clear of a slam dunk as many thought it would be, as Auburn and Clemson were strong contenders throughout Bowen’s recruitment. But the option of staying close to home and strong recruiting efforts by Freeman and Co. proved to be too much for the Southern schools to overcome.
Bowen, who will also play baseball at Notre Dame, won 2021 Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year honors. MaxPreps named Bowen its 2022 Indiana High School Football Player of the Year. Bowen’s high school career was nothing short of sensational. In 55 career games, he recorded 379 tackles (54 for loss), 16 sacks, 6 interceptions, 6 passes broken up, 6 fumble recoveries, 10 forced fumbles, 4 blocked punts and 3 blocked field goals. He also added a fumble recovery score and 2 interceptions returned for touchdowns across his career.
He didn’t play much offensively as a freshman and sophomore but did his final two seasons at the prep level. He ran 424 times for 2,969 yards with 49 touchdowns. He also caught 34 passes for 494 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Concord (Calif.) De La Salle tight end Cooper Flanagan
Height: 6-5
Weight: 222
Commitment date: Sept. 2, 2021
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 251 NATL, No. 16 tight end and No. 19 player from California.
Notre Dame wants to keep its tight end tradition strong and should be able to do so with the addition of Concord (Calif.) De La Salle’s Cooper Flanagan in the 2023 cycle. Flanagan received his Notre Dame scholarship offer on Aug. 6, 2021 after a few months of building a relationship with former Irish tight ends coach John McNulty. Flanagan visited Notre Dame’s campus in June and loved his experience. At that point, it was clear that if Notre Dame offered Flanagan, he would end up choosing the Irish. Alabama, LSU and others are still pushing for Flanagan and hoped to flip him, but he inked with Notre Dame in December.
Flanagan also held scholarship offers from Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, Michigan State, San Jose State, Tennessee, Utah and Washington.
Irvington (N.J.) High safety Adon Shuler
Height: 5-11
Weight: 187
Commitment date: Aug. 15, 2021
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 293 NATL, No. 25 safety and No. 5 player from New Jersey.
Notre Dame offered Irvington (N.J.) High’s Adon Shuler in May 2021, and the coaching staff loved the four-star prospect even more after seeing him in person at their camp in late July. Notre Dame’s life after football pitch and relationship with the coaching staff were big factors for Shuler in picking the Fighting Irish.
He was named to the 2020 All-Essex County first-team defense and the 2020 Liberty Red Division first-team defense. He erupted as a junior, leading his team to a state title and being named a USA Today first-team all-state performer. Shuler held scholarship offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Temple and West Virginia.
Mentor (Ohio) High defensive end Brenan Vernon
Height: 6-5
Weight: 240
Commitment date: June 29, 2021
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 179 NATL, No. 20 defensive lineman and No. 4 player from Ohio.
Notre Dame pulled off a massive recruiting upset June 29, 2021 when Mentor (Ohio) High’s Brenan Vernon announced his pledge to the Irish over Ohio State, the long-perceived favorite. Notre Dame offered Vernon on Jan. 31, 2020 during a conversation with former defensive line coach Mike Elston. The Irish staff kept things steady with Vernon throughout 2020 and into 2021, but it didn’t really heat up until May 2021. The Irish staff started having weekly Zoom calls with the four-star prospect, which went very well. Some coaching staff changes have not affected Vernon’s status with Notre Dame, as he’s still locked in with his commitment.
Vernon visited campus twice in June of 2021 and wrapped up his recruitment that month. Alabama, Cincinnati, Duke, Indiana, Iowa State, Kent State, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Ohio State made up Vernon’s offer list.
