Commitment date details revealed for Notre Dame safety target JaDon Blair

Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor’s JaDon Blair has had a commitment date of July 5 picked out for at least a couple months, and it is now just five days away.

Blair, who ranks as the nation’s No. 157 overall prospect and No. 15 safety according to the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking, took spring official visits to Virginia Tech and Louisville. He had a loaded June, taking officials to South Carolina, Notre Dame, Michigan, Florida State and Penn State, in that order.

He’ll pick one of those schools this Friday, and his father, Jay, tweeted that the ceremony will take place at Mount Tabor High at 3 p.m. ET. The On3 Recruits YouTube channel will carry the live stream of his announcement.

Notre Dame is considered the team to beat for Blair heading into his decision according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

Per On3’s own rankings, Blair is the No. 85 player and No. 8 safety in the land.

Blair had a strong 2023 season as a junior, posting 56 tackles (3 for loss), 4 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery and 1 forced fumble in 13 games. He played some wide receiver, too, and hauled in 10 passes for 255 yards with 6 touchdowns.

JaDon will be announcing his commitment this Friday, July 5th, at 3 pm. Mt. Tabor HS gym. #WheresHome pic.twitter.com/ofDIoooJl3

— Jay Blair (@Jay_Blair44) June 29, 2024

More details on Blair’s choices

While Blair hasn’t narrowed down his recruitment past the seven schools he officially visited, there have generally been three programs who pundits consider as the top options in the recruitment. Those programs are Michigan, Notre Dame and Penn State.

The Nittany Lions hosted Blair the most during his recruiting process, having the four-star recruit in Happy Valley six times. The pitch from the Nittany Lions isn’t centered around being the next version of recent safeties the team has put into the NFL but instead about the development that Blair could undertake at the next level. 

“They’re pitching that a little bit, but they just feel that I can be better,” Blair previously said to Blue White Illustrated regarding Penn State. “That’s what they’re saying the most right now, that I can be developed there the best and I could come out of Penn State one of the best safeties in America. They confidently say that to me and they confidently think that they can do that. That’s huge for me. Having that much confidence when you haven’t put your hands on me yet to help me plays a big role for those guys coming out of Penn State.”

Michigan has long been a contender for the 6-4.5, 195-pounder, and it seems the Wolverines have surged for him in recent weeks. His official visit to Ann Arbor went very well earlier this month.

“It was extremely amazing in Ann Arbor, Michigan,” Blair told On3’s Steve Wiltfong. “Me and my family loved it and loved what we heard and what was presented to us. They showed a ton of love to us and made it feel like a home environment. 

“What excites me the most about Michigan is that I will have the best opportunity to not only play but to get on the field early and excel in Coach Wink’s defense. Also the deals they would have for me and who they would connect me with is extremely important and that caught me and my parents’ attention.”

And then there’s Notre Dame, the school with the most buzz heading into his decision date. He’s been predicted by Wiltfong to land with the Fighting Irish since late May, and On3’s VP of Recruiting and Transfer Portal as well as the Blue & Gold staff like where Notre Dame stands with the impressive defender.

“What was good and unique about this one was the meetings I had with Coach [Mike] Mickens and Coach [Marcus] Freeman,” Blair told Blue & Gold after his Notre Dame official visit. “With Coach Mickens, he was breaking down the defense to me and how they do things. With Coach Freeman, he was saying how he’d love to coach me and love to develop me personally. He’s accountable for his guys and helps them every step of the way.

“I’ve seen it all. During my last unofficial visit, we did a lot of stuff that I did on my OV. We got to eat at the top of the stadium and talk up there.”