Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football National Signing Day Central

Freeman addresses whether the Irish will go into the portal for a transfer quarterback

Marcus Freeman on Madden Faraimo’s decision:

BREAKING: Marcus Freeman announces the addition of Madden Faraimo

Updates from Marcus Freeman and Chad Bowden’s National Signing Day press conference

Check out the live updates from Blue & Gold’s Tyler Horka here and/or watch the presser below.

LB Ko’o Kia signs with Notre Dame; all 24 verbals have signed

The younger brother of Notre Dame defender Kahanu Kia has officially joined the Notre Dame roster. Honolulu Punahou three-star linebacker Ko’o Kia has signed with the Fighting Irish.

Mike’s take: If you talk to sources close to the Notre Dame football program, they are very excited about Kia and believe he’s a four-star talent. Kia gives vibes of past versatile defenders Jaylen Sneed and Marist Liufau in Al Golden’s defense, with Kia being able to play all over the front seven. He hits with pop and comes from a strong football background, with his father (Nate Kia) playing for the Utah Utes in the ’90s. The 6-3, 220-pound Koo hits violently and can play from sideline to sideline. This is a strong get for the Fighting Irish.

Notable offers: California, Texas, Oregon, USC, Nebraska, Washington and Michigan State
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 514 NATL, No. 57 LB and No. 2 player from Hawaii
On3 ranking: No. 38 LB and No. 3 player from Hawaii

Full story on Kia here.

Madden Faraimo update from On3 insider Chad Simmons

Here’s what Simmons said during the On3 National Signing day show at about 12:30 p.m. ET regarding the key Irish linebacker target, who will decide between Notre Dame and USC today:

“For Madden Faraimo, I’m hearing out of a source out of LA that maybe it is not quite as confident at USC right now as it was earlier today, the last couple of days.

“We know that Notre Dame has been in this from the get-go. We know that he has thought about committing to Notre Dame, once or twice throughout the last six to eight months. He’s been there in South Bend for a couple of games this season.

“I’m told not to sleep on Washington there as well. He’s been up there for an OV. He’s been in communication with Washington.

“But I’m told he has set the announcement for 12 p.m. PT. … There’s a lot of talk. Is he not really a USC lean? Could he be leaning back to Notre Dame? But one thing I can say is, from someone connected there, that the buzz is not as positive around USC right now.”

Report: Fresno State to hire USC’s linebackers coach

Could this have an impact on Notre Dame linebacker target Madden Faraimo? The elite prospect is deciding between the Irish and Trojans today, and this is quite the development to take place on signing day.

Five Notre Dame class of 2025 signees who can contribute as true freshmen

If there’s one thing we learned from the 2024 Notre Dame football season, it’s that the Irish are not afraid to play freshmen.

Eight burned their redshirts this year. Two (left tackle Anthonie Knapp and cornerback Leonard Moore) became starters at premium positions. Some, like linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, were easy to guess on last December’s National Signing Day. Others, like Knapp, were not.

So, take this list with a grain of salt. No one truly knows whether a player will contribute on Day 1 until they get to campus. For example, wide receiver Cam Williams was on last year’s edition, and reporters knew he would likely redshirt after watching one spring practice.

With that in mind, here are the five Notre Dame 2025 signees Blue & Gold believes could contribute as true freshman.

Full story here.

Blue & Gold’s Notre Dame assistant coach recruiter of the year: Mike Mickens

This one is pretty easy. Mike Mickens has been a crucial part in making Notre Dame’s secondary go from a weakness to a big strength.

His development is a key part of that (especially with getting young players ready to play as soon as possible), and the caliber of recruits he’s getting to South Bend has been impressive.

Full story here.

Phoenix cornerback Cree Thomas signs with Notre Dame

Three years after signing three-star cornerback Benjamin Morrison out of Brophy College Prep, the Irish have returned to the all-male Catholic high school in Phoenix to sign another standout defensive back. This time, it’s Cree Thomas, a three-star prospect who has been all in on the Irish for over a year. 

Kyle’s take: Because of Notre Dame’s marquee defensive back commitments of Blair, Golden and Zackery, Thomas has gone overlooked in the class. Don’t expect that to happen when he arrives in South Bend. The 6-1, 170-pounder starred at cornerback and safety in high school, collecting 116 tackles (100 solo), 3.5 stops for loss, 1.5 sacks, 14 pass breakups, 9 interceptions, 2 caused fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries during his career. The Irish project Thomas to contribute at cornerback, but he has also shown the ability to play safety. At the very least, Thomas will add much-needed depth to the Notre Dame secondary. 

Notable offers: Oregon, Wisconsin, Arizona, Arizona State, Boston College, California and Purdue
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 489 NATL, No. 48 CB and No. 5 player from Arizona
On3 ranking: No. 77 CB and No. 7 player from Arizona

Full story on Thomas here.

Signing day update

22 of Notre Dame’s 24 commitments have officially signed with the Irish.

At 9 a.m. ET, Phoenix Brophy Prep CB Cree Thomas will join the group. And at 12 p.m. ET, Honolulu Punhaou LB Ko’o Kia will sign with the Fighting Irish.

We’ll see what elite LB Madden Faraimo does. He will choose between Notre Dame and USC.

Irish announce additions of three Chicagoland prospects

From Chicago’s South Side to South Bend, Notre Dame football’s top verbal commitment from the Windy City has filed his financial aid papers to play his college football for the Fighting Irish. Simeon Career Academy’s Christopher Burgess Jr., a four-star EDGE, was one of Notre Dame’s marquee recruiting victories in the 2025 class. 

Kyle’s take: Despite only beginning his football career as a high school freshman, most Power Four college football programs offered the 6-4, 240-pound Burgess. Irish defensive line coachAl Washington and assistant defensive line coach Nick Sebastian were smart to prioritize building a relationship with the Chicago standout and his family when he was a sophomore, considering the nationwide interest from schools. Burgess has played out of position the last two seasons, limiting his defensive end development. Still, he had 101 tackles (51 solo), 8 stops for loss, 5 sacks, 8 quarterback hurries, 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery while playing middle linebacker. Considering the strength of his relationship with Washington, it would not be a surprise if Burgess made a jump in the offseason to put himself in contention to see snaps as a freshman. 

Notable offers: Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Colorado, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Oregon, Miami, Texas A&M, Nebraska and Florida State
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 111 NATL, No. 11 EDGE and No. 4 player from Illinois
On3 ranking: No. 216 NATL, No. 26 EDGE and No. 8 player from Illinois 

Full story on Burgess here.

—

Another Chicagoland standout on the defensive line has inked with the Irish. This time, it’s Dominik Hulak, a four-star from Elmhurst (Ill.) IC Catholic Prep. 

Kyle’s take: Hulak’s recruitment was one of the most fascinating of the 2025 cycle. When the 6-4, 240-pounder verbally committed to Notre Dame in November 2023, the program initially projected him to play a Marist Liufau-linebacker-type role. However, after a few months of growth, the Irish ultimately decided he was destined for vyper. And that’s where he’ll start his college career. Hulak will bring speed off the edge, considering his 4.65-second 40-yard dash at last June’s Irish Invasion high school prospect camp. As a senior, he finished with 32 tackles, 10 sacks, 9 stops for loss and 1 forced fumble. The Irish are thrilled about his upside and pushed hard to get him in the fold 13 months ago. 

Notable offers: Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Purdue, Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas, Louisville, Stanford and Michigan State
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 367 NATL, No. 36 EDGE and No. 9 player from Illinois
On3 ranking: No. 279 NATL, No. 30 EDGE and No. 10 player from Illinois

—

Notre Dame has gone back to Chicagoland to sign another defensive line recruit. This time it’s Elmhurst (Ill.) York Community School’s Joseph Reiff, the son of former Northwestern defensive lineman Joe Reiff. The younger Reiff is a three-star prospect, per the On3 Industry Ranking, but a four-star in On3’s rankings. 

Kyle’s take: Reiff’s verbal commitment to Notre Dame on Sept. 24, 2023, came as a surprise. Rather than letting his recruitment play out, he pledged to the Irish the day after last season’s Ohio State game and during just his third trip to campus. He earned an offer from Notre Dame after participating in one of the program’s three high school prospect evaluation camps June 20, 2023. Reiff has been compared throughout his recruitment to Joshua Burnham and Rylie Mills because of his ability to play strongside defensive end of 3-tech defensive tackle. His motor and athleticism could help him excel on the edge, while his size and length make him an intriguing interior D-line candidate. As a high school senior, the 6-5, 250-pounder had 57 tackles (39 solo), 8 stops for loss, 2.5 sacks, 31 quarterback hurries, 1 fumble recovery and 2 pass breakups. Reiff also started at left tackle for York and was an outstanding offensive lineman. 

Notable offers: Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue, Louisville and Cincinnati
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 447 NATL, No. 40 DL and No. 12 player from Illinois 
On3 ranking: No. 29 DL and No. 11 player from Illinois 

Notre Dame signs trio of Wisconsin prospects

The On3 Industry Ranking’s top offensive lineman in the Badger State is headed to South Bend. The Notre Dame football program has officially announced the addition of Owen Strebig, a four-star senior at Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic Memorial. 

Kyle’s take: Before Wednesday, the only prospect the Irish have signed from Wisconsin in the internet recruiting era — which dates back to 2002 — was Billy Schrauth in the 2022 cycle. Today, the Irish can say they signed two more between Strebig and Flanigan, the On3 Industry Ranking’s top two players in the state. When the former was in eighth grade, Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph struck up a relationship with Strebig. That ended up paying off in his commitment and signature to the Irish. Strebig is one of three 6-7 offensive tackles in the Irish class. So, he might have to give playing on the interior offensive line some thought. After all, Rudolph has shown that’s possible with his usage of sophomore Sullivan Absher, a 6-7, 321-pounder, who has seen snaps at guard this season. Regardless of where Strebig plays on the O-line, he was a great get for the Irish, considering how many other programs coveted him. 

Notable offers: Wisconsin, Southern Cal, Miami, Iowa, Florida, Michigan, Penn State, Florida State, Texas A&M, Missouri, Nebraska and Stanford
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 288 NATL, No. 22 OT and No. 2 player from Wisconsin
On3 ranking: No. 54 OT and No. 4 player from Wisconsin

—

One of the two true Notre Dame football legacy recruits in the 2025 class has officially signed on with the program to follow in his father’s footsteps. Green Bay (Wis.) Notre Dame de la Baie Academy four-star tight end James Flanigan, the son of former Irish defensive lineman Jim Flanigan — who played for the Irish in the early 1990s — has sent his financial aid papers. 

Kyle’s take: Flanigan joined the younger Bettis as the second Irish legacy in the class by signing with the program. He is an exceptional athlete, playing four years of varsity football and excelling in varsity hockey and track and field. Because of his success in other sports and those abilities translating to the football field, Flanigan is a favorite of On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power, who said the Notre Dame signee’s “combination of explosive strength and athleticism at his size sticks out.” He’ll arrive in South Bend with exceptional blocking skills and the ability to contribute in the passing game, evidenced by his career 85 receptions for 1,832 yards and 28 touchdowns. Flanigan could burn right through his redshirt by playing offense and special teams. 

Notable offers: Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Stanford, Penn State, Missouri, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa State and Louisville
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 117 NATL, No. 6 TE and No. 1 player from Wisconsin 
On3 ranking: No. 107 NATL, No. 5 TE and No. 1 player from Wisconsin

Full story on Flanigan here.

—

For the first time in the Marcus Freeman era, Notre Dame has signed a scholarship high school kicker. Just a couple of days ago, the Irish flipped Milwaukee (Wis.) Marquette University’s Erik Schmidt away from Wisconsin. And today, he signed with the Fighting Irish.

Mike’s take: I’ll be honest with you all. I don’t know anything about judging kickers besides whether the ball goes through the uprights. And at the high school level, Schmidt was excellent at that, connecting on 10 of 13 kicks, with his three misses being at a long distance. He’s also an outstanding punter and could provide versatility for the Notre Dame staff. Schmidt seemed to be waiting on this offer for a long time, and when it came, he jumped on the opportunity. The Irish are fired up about Schmidt and believe they just signed the top specialist in America.

Notable offers: Wisconsin, Boston College, Missouri
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 2,187 NATL, No. 2 K and No. 20 player in Wisconsin
On3 ranking: No. 5 K and No. 21 player in Wisconsin

Next up: Central zone prospects set to sign with Notre Dame

The Irish have three Chicagoland recruits and three in Wisconsin will sign at 8 a.m. ET.

Five-star OT Will Black signs with Notre Dame

Notre Dame’s highest-ranked pledge of the 2025 class is now official with the Fighting Irish. Wallingford (Conn.) Choate Rosemary Hall five-star offensive tackle Will Black has signed with ND.

Mike’s take: When Notre Dame landed Black’s commitment in Dec. 2023, it was a mild surprise, as he previously called Michigan his “dream school.” But it was the Fighting Irish he committed to and never looked back. He was On3’s No. 202 overall player nationally when he pledged to ND. Now, he’s currently the No. 2 overall player in the nation. His rise in the offseason was meteoric, and he followed that up with excellent play as a senior. The elite prospect won’t enroll at Notre Dame until the summer, but that was the same with Irish legend Joe Alt. Black — a product of London, Ontario, Canada — is the prototypical left tackle prospect and has all the makings of a future first-round NFL Draft selection. He is the real deal with his athleticism, size, strength — you name it. Black has it all.

Notable offers: Penn State, Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Texas A&M, Stanford and Florida
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 26 NATL, No. 6 OT and No. 1 player from Connecticut
On3 ranking: No. 2 NATL, No. 1 OT and No. 1 player from Connecticut 

Full story on Black here.

DL Jalen Wiggins sticks with Florida commitment

Notre Dame made a run at the four-star talent this fall and hosted him for an official visit, but Jalen Wiggins signed with the Gators this morning. This was expected in talking to sources the past week.

Wideout Elijah Burress signs with the Fighting Irish

Notre Dame continues its trend in the past couple of years, signing sons of former NFL players by officially adding Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic four-star wide receiver Elijah Burress, son of Super Bowl XLII champion Plaxico Burress.

Mike’s take: Many Irish fans aren’t thrilled with Notre Dame’s receiver class in 2025 after missing out on many targets, but they should be fired up about this addition. Burress is a state champion playing in highly competitive New Jersey ball. He was highly productive with over 25 yards per catch and over a dozen touchdown catches as a senior and is a well-rounded player. Burress doesn’t have elite top-end speed, but the four-star prospect has a knack for creating separation with his superb route running and is a sure-handed target. The 6-0.5, 175-pounder has all the makings for a solid Notre Dame career. Burress might just be my favorite recruit of the class. I’m a fan.

Notable offers: Michigan State, Duke, Cincinnati, Liberty, Temple and Marshall
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 380 NATL, No. 58 WR and No. 8 player from New Jersey
On3 ranking: No. 124 WR and No. 19 from New Jersey

Elite safety JaDon Blair signs with Notre Dame

Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor four-star safety JaDon Blair is officially a member of Notre Dame’s 2025 recruiting class, the school announced on National Signing Day.

Mike’s take: With many of these commitments that took place several months ago, fans tend to forget about just how talented these players are —- too much focus on what’s transpired over the past few weeks rather than the entire cycle. A case in point is Blair, who the Fighting Irish landed in a dog fight over Penn State, Michigan, Virginia Tech, South Carolina and Louisville. At about 6-5 and 195 pounds, Blair is a big-time safety recruit and has drawn plenty of Kyle Hamilton comparisons with their similar style of play. Blair is long and can cover a lot of ground in the blink of an eye, plus he shows off incredible ball skills on film. He has the potential to play early in his Notre Dame career.

Notable offers: Penn State, Michigan, Virginia Tech, LSU, Tennessee, Miami and Mississippi State
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 125 NATL, No. 11 S and No. 5 player from North Carolina 
On3 ranking: No. 54 NATL, No. 4 S and No. 3 player from North Carolina

Full story on Blair here.

Irish announcing eastern time zone signees quickly, several more are official with Notre Dame

Notre Dame has another Bettis on its football roster. Jerome Bettis Jr.’s dad is a Fighting Irish legend, and the Atlanta Woodward Academy three-star wide receiver signed with his father’s alma mater on National Signing Day.

Mike’s take: He’s one of the lower-ranked players in the class, but Bettis should be a solid player for Notre Dame. He provides some upside at safety if he’s to switch positions. Still, he’s more than capable at receiver and showed that as a senior, catching 36 passes for 630 yards with 7 touchdowns in 11 games, playing highly competitive ball in the Peach State. And defensively, he posted 46 tackles (1 for loss), 1 pass breakup, 2 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. He brings physicality to both sides of the ball, and the 6-3, 185-pounder’s play at receiver reminds me of Irish pass catcher Deion Colzie.

Notable offers: Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Missouri, Duke, Arkansas and N.C. State
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 865 NATL, No. 138 WR and No. 102 player from Georgia
On3 ranking: No. 192 WR and No. 111 player from Georgia

Full story on Bettis here.

—

The top offensive lineman in the Hoosier State sent his financial aid papers to play for the Fighting Irish. Indianapolis Warren Central’s Cameron Herron, a four-star recruit, has officially claimed his spot on the roster less than two months after flipping from his initial verbal commitment to the University of Iowa. 

Kyle’s take: After about a year of evaluating Herron, Irish offensive line coach Joe Rudolph finally put the pedal to the metal in October to flip the 6-2½, 265-pounder from the Hawkeyes. Herron projects as a center for Notre Dame; the Irish love his ability to play the position. Though he’s a few inches smaller than a few of Notre Dame’s starting centers as of late, Herron compares to former Notre Dame center Sam Musipher and former Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum — two NFL standouts — with his stature. Where he has them beat is with his 35-inch arms, which gives him a great advantage over defenders. Ultimately, the potential for more than 85 scholarship players helped Notre Dame land Herron. But there is little doubt that he could find himself in the starting five in the future. 
 
Notable offers: Iowa, Cincinnati, Northwestern, Louisville, Indiana, West Virginia, Purdue, Duke, Pittsburgh, Iowa State and Boston College
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 268 NATL, No. 19 OL and No. 6 player from Indiana
On3 ranking: No. 205 NATL, No. 11 OL and No. 5 player from Indiana

—

Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic three-star running back Nolan James Jr.’s highly decorated high school career has ended, and his college football career will soon begin in South Bend. James is the latest recruit to sign with the Fighting Irish.

Mike’s take: Notre Dame snagged some early running back commitments in the 2025 cycle, but things didn’t work out with either prospect. The Irish moved on from them and went after James, who had been committed to Boston College for nearly a year. James comes to Notre Dame after a tremendous career at DePaul Catholic, which included over 5,000 all-purpose yards. When it comes to James’ style of play, think former Irish star Kyren Williams. James isn’t the fastest back out there, but he has great vision, make-you-miss ability, blocks well, and makes plays as a pass catcher. James was a really solid late flip for the Fighting Irish.

Notable offers: Boston College, Syracuse, Duke, Virginia and Princeton
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 509 NATL, No. 43 RB and No. 14 player from New Jersey
On3 ranking: No. 34 RB and No. 12 player from New Jersey

—

Notre Dame has officially added Peach State playmaker Antavious Richardson to its roster. The Greenville (Ga.) High four-star prospect made things official with the Fighting Irish on National Signing Day.

Mike’s take: After Notre Dame finished the summer with just two receiver commits, the staff identified a few pass catchers they wanted to target moving forward. Richardson was among them. The former USF commit also had Alabama and North Carolina in pursuit of him, but he sided with the Irish after officially visiting campus. Richardson is immensely talented as an athlete, but getting on the field as a receiver may take some time, considering he’s never played the position. He’s played quarterback and lined up all over the field on defense at the high school level. Yet, Richardson comes to Notre Dame with a ton of potential.

Notable offers: Mississippi State, USF, Duke, Alabama, North Carolina, Vanderbilt
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 255 NATL, No. 5 ATH and No. 34 player from Georgia
On3 ranking: No. 287 NATL, No. 6 ATH and No. 35 player from Georgia

—


Notre Dame has announced Gordy Sulfsted’s signing. The three-star is a lengthy defensive tackle from one of the top high school football programs in Ohio — Cincinnati St. Xavier. 

Kyle’s take: Sulfsted never had the chance to prove he was, in fact, vastly underrated when Notre Dame pushed for his pledge in May. Before his regular season kicked off, Sulfsted suffered a season-ending injury. That was a devastating blow because the 6-5, 235-pounder was showing signs that he was due for a breakout senior season. St. Xavier’s defense isn’t best suited for its defensive linemen to rack up stats. Still, as a junior, he compiled 41 tackles (22 solo), 6 stops for loss, 3.5 sacks and 3 pass breakups. Sulfsted has all the makings of being another Rylie Mills for the Irish. 

Notable offers: Iowa, Miami, Minnesota, Washington, Wisconsin, Duke, Stanford, Indiana, Virginia and Vanderbilt
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 637 NATL, No. 63 DL and No. 24 player from Ohio
On3 ranking: No. 108 DL and No. 46 player from Ohio

Notre Dame announces five more signees

One of three Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick School pledges to Notre Dame has officially signed his financial aid papers with the Irish. This one is Matty Augustine, a three-star offensive lineman who ranks among the best at his position nationally. 

Kyle’s take: Augustine was solely a basketball player before taking football seriously at Brunswick School. Under Bruins coach Wayne McGillicuddy, a former Division III offensive line coach at Ava Maria and All-Conference selection at Westfield State, the 6-7, 295-pound Augustine developed into one of the top offensive tackles in his class. Before verbally committing to the Irish in February, he reported scholarship offers from 27 other Power Four programs. Augustine’s athleticism, physicality and tenacity make him a candidate to find a spot at tackle or guard on the future Notre Dame offensive line. 

Notable offers: Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, Florida, Penn State, Duke, Michigan State, Tennessee, Miami, Texas A&M, Missouri, Nebraska, South Carolina, Florida State and Stanford
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 419 NATL, No. 28 OT and No. 3 player from Connecticut
On3 Ranking: No. 42 OT and No. 5 player from Connecticut

—

The interior of Notre Dame’s defensive line just got beefier, as Miami Palmetto three-star Davion Dixon has officially joined the class. The 6-3, 305-pounder was the Irish’s first pledge of the 2025 cycle.

Mike’s take: In full transparency, I wasn’t over the moon about the early take by Notre Dame, but he developed well and balled out as a senior. Dixon had a tremendous 11-game senior campaign, posting 82 tackles (54 solo), 25 stops for loss, 11.5 sacks, 8 quarterback pressures, 1 pass breakup, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. He was coveted by other programs, with the likes of Miami, Auburn and Ohio State, who all wanted to flip him away at various points in the past year and a half. Notre Dame is happy with how Dixon played in 2024 and is fired up to get him to campus.

Notable offers: Georgia, Ohio State, Florida, Florida State, Miami and Penn State
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 890 NATL, No. 87 DL and No. 114 player from Florida
On3 ranking: No. 135 DL and No. 167 player from Florida

—

Deuce Knight was the program’s 2025 quarterback commit for much of the cycle, but he left the class in October, opening the door for Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick School’s Blake Hebert to be a part of the Notre Dame family. Hebert, a four-star, has signed with Notre Dame.

Mike’s take: After Knight flipped to Auburn, the Irish kept it very quiet regarding who they were looking to replace him, and the Irish worked in silence to flip Hebert from Clemson. For what it’s worth, sources told Blue & Gold that Hebert was the ND staff’s top quarterback target in the summer of 2023 before he pledged to the Tigers over the Irish. As a player, the 6-3, 215-pounder has qualities that remind me of some current and past Irish signal-callers. He has Drew Pyne’s moxy, Steve Angeli’s stature and Riley Leonard’s athleticism. Hebert is a really strong get for the Irish at the quarterback position.

Notable offers: Clemson, Penn State, Virginia, Auburn, Ole Miss, Iowa, Virginia Tech and North Carolina
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 378 NATL, No. 27 QB and No. 2 player from Connecticut
On3 ranking: No. 35 QB and No. 3 player from Connecticut

Trio of Notre Dame signees are in

Notre Dame beat out heavy hitters to land Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep four-star cornerback Dallas Golden in April, and his commitment to the Fighting Irish is now official. The school announced his decision on National Signing Day.

Mike’s take: I would argue that Golden is the best pound-for-pound athlete in Notre Dame’s class and one of the best in the country. Former Irish captain Mike Goolsby is adamant that he believes Golden’s highest upside is on the offensive side of the ball, where Golden primarily lined up in high school, playing both receiver and running back. Golden has gotten snaps at both cornerback and safety in high school, too. However, the Irish see the 6-0, 188-pounder being a lockdown cornerback in South Bend. Golden is fast, twitchy and has a superb football IQ. When you talk about wanting Notre Dame to get more athletes to compete with the top SEC schools, Golden is just that. He was coveted by all those programs as well. Some tried to flip him late, but they were unsuccessful.

Notable offers: Florida State, Clemson, Georgia, Miami, Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, LSU and Oregon
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 114 NATL, No. 14 CB and No. 17 player from Florida 
On3 ranking: No. 132 NATL, No. 16 CB and No. 19 player from Florida 

Full story on Golden here.
—

The top 2025 class defensive back recruit from New England has signed with the Notre Dame football program. Ethan Long, a three-star safety, is officially a member of the Fighting Irish. The Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick School senior is cousins with former Notre Dame captain Austin Webster. 

Kyle’s take: About two months after Notre Dame offered Long, he participated in one of the program’s prospect evaluation camps in June 2023. His performance made him a must-get for the Irish. During his workout, he displayed exceptional length, range and footwork. He sharpened his tackling skills as a senior, logging 51 stops, including 5 for loss. Long is a playmaker, too, evidenced by his 3 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. He can play field or boundary safety for the Irish. Don’t be surprised if Long was the most underrated player in the class when all is said and done. 

Notable offers: Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Duke, Wisconsin, UCLA, Michigan State, Maryland, Pittsburgh and Boston College
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 500 NATL, No. 45 S and No. 6 player in Connecticut
On3 ranking: No. 72 S and No. 9 player from Connecticut

—

One of the top prospects in the Hoosier State is officially staying in Indiana to play for the Irish. Notre Dame has received Indianapolis Ben Davis’ Mark Zackery’s financial aid papers as it announced the four-star cornerback’s addition to the program. 

Kyle’s take: Zackery is one of the state’s all-time great athletes, leading the Giants football team to a state title as a junior and playing a key bench role for the state championship basketball team as a sophomore. The 5-10½, 160-pound Zackery had an exceptional football career, collecting 140 tackles, 14 interceptions, 19 pass breakups, 3 caused fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries and 2 blocked punts. As a junior and senior, he proved his worth as a wide receiver, catching 111 passes for 1,859 yards and 20 touchdowns. Above all else, Zackery is a playmaker and will be counted on to keep coming up with game-changing plays in the Irish secondary. If he can manage playing more than one sport in college, he would like to contribute to the Irish men’s basketball program in some capacity, too. 

Notable offers: Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, Cincinnati, Florida, Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Southern Cal, Penn State, Wisconsin and Iowa
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 154 NATL, No. 18 CB and No. 4 player from Indiana
On3 ranking: No. 111 NATL, No. 13 CB and No. 3 player from Indiana 

Pre-National Signing Day notes

Prospects can start signing at 7:00 a.m. their local time. Based on what we’re hearing at Blue & Gold, it should be a quiet day in terms of unexpected additions for the Irish. But on signing day, you just never know. Notre Dame enters the day with 24 verbal commitments. Today, those verbals become official.