Final On3 Rankings Update: Notre Dame football's Will Black the No. 4 overall player in 2025 class

For the first time since On3’s inception in 2021, the Notre Dame football program has a prospect rated as a top-five player in its recruiting class.

On Thursday, On3 released its final 2025 class recruit rankings and Fighting Irish five-star offensive tackle Will Black slotted as the No. 4 overall player. The Wallingford (Conn.) Choate Rosemary Hall senior, Black, is also On3’s top offensive tackle and player in Connecticut in the class. He is also one of 32 players On3 awarded five-star status.

Before On3 finalized Black’s ranking, 2024 class five-star offensive tackle Guerby Lambert out of West Roxbury (Mass.) Catholic Memorial was the highest-ranked Notre Dame recruit in the On3 era. Lambert was the No. 18 overall player and No. 2 offensive tackle last year.

Since 2021, On3 previously assigned five stars to Notre Dame recruits Charles Jagusah (No. 25 overall), Aamil Wagner (No. 29), Jaylen Sneed (No. 26) and Prince Kollie (No. 25). Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne’s Wagner and Rock Island (Ill.) Alleman’s Jagusah ranked as the Nos. 3 and 4 offensive tackles in the 2022 and 2023 recruiting classes, respectively. Hilton Head Island (S.C.) Hilton Head’s Sneed and Jonesborough (Tenn.) David Crockett High’s Kollie were the Nos. 2 and 3 linebackers in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The last Notre Dame recruit to rank among the top five was Fort Wayne (Ind.) Bishop Luers linebacker Jaylon Smith. According to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services, Smith was the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2013 cycle. On3 did rank players before the 2021 class.

In addition to Black, the Irish landed 10 other players in the On300: defensive lineman Christopher Burgess Jr. (No. 66), safety JaDon Blair (No. 71), cornerback Mark Zackery IV (No. 118), tight end James Flanigan (No. 130), cornerback Dallas Golden (No. 132), linebacker Madden Faraimo (No. 144) offensive lineman Cameron Herron (No. 193), running back Nolan James Jr. (No. 216), safety Brandon Logan (No. 248) and EDGE Dominik Hulak (No. 278).

On3’s rankings formula is meant to emulate the NFL Draft. A five-star prospect is considered a potential first-round draft pick. There are 32 NFL teams — and 32 first-round picks — so typically, only 32 five-star recruits in each cycle. The other 268 prospects are projected as eventual NFL Draft picks or priority undrafted free agents.

Here is how On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power, national scout Cody Bellaire and the rest of On3’s scouting department ranked Notre Dame’s current commits in the final On300 update.

Where Notre Dame commits slot in the latest On3 rankings update

Wallingford (Conn.) Choate Rosemary Hall OT Will Black

New ranking: No. 4 overall player, No. 1 offensive tackle nationally and No. 1 prospect in Connecticut (99 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 2 overall player, No. 1 offensive tackle nationally and No. 1 prospect in Connecticut (98 rating)
Ranking change: -2 overall, no change positionally and no chance in the state (+1 rating)

Chicago Simeon EDGE Christopher Burgess Jr.

New ranking: No. 66 overall player, No. 6 DL nationally and No. 3 prospect in Illinois (96 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 216 overall player, No. 26 EDGE nationally and No. 8 prospect in Illinois (91 rating)
Ranking change: +150 overall, +20 (new) positionally and +5 in the state (+5 rating)

Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor S JaDon Blair

New ranking: No. 71 overall player, No. 5 safety nationally and No. 5 prospect in North Carolina (96 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 54 overall player, No. 4 safety nationally and No. 3 prospect in North Carolina (94 rating)
Ranking change: -17 overall, -1 positionally and -2 in the state (+2 rating)

Indianapolis Ben Davis CB Mark Zackery IV

New ranking: No. 118 overall player, No. 14 cornerback nationally and No. 3 prospect in Indiana (94 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 111 overall player, No. 13 cornerback nationally and No. 3 prospect in Indiana (92 rating)
Ranking change: -7 overall, -1 positionally and same in the state (+2 rating)

Green Bay (Wis.) Notre Dame de la Baie Academy TE James Flanigan

New ranking: No. 130 overall player, No. 7 tight end nationally and No. 1 prospect in Wisconsin (94 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 107 overall player, No. 5 tight end nationally and No. 1 prospect in Wisconsin (92 rating)
Ranking change: -23 overall, -2 positionally and same in the state (+2 rating)

Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep CB Dallas Golden

New ranking: No. 132 overall player, No. 18 cornerback nationally and No. 18 prospect in Florida (94 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 132 overall player, No. 16 cornerback nationally and No. 19 prospect in Florida (92 rating)
Ranking change: N/C overall, -2 positionally and +1 in the state (+2 rating)

San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) JSerra Catholic LB Madden Faraimo

New ranking: No. 144 overall player, No. 13 linebacker nationally and No. 11 prospect in California (94 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 136 overall player, No. 15 linebacker nationally and No. 10 prospect in California (92 rating)
Ranking change: -8 overall, +2 positionally and -1 in the state (+2 rating)

Indianapolis Warren Central OL Cam Herron

New ranking: No. 193 overall player, No. 11 offensive lineman nationally and No. 4 prospect in Indiana (93 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 205 overall player, No. 11 offensive lineman nationally and No. 5 prospect in Indiana (91 rating)
Ranking change: +12 overall, N/C positionally and +1 in the state (+2 rating)

Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic RB Nolan James Jr.

New ranking: No. 216 overall player, No. 14 running back nationally and No. 6 prospect in New Jersey (92 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 34 running back nationally and No. 12 prospect in New Jersey (89 rating)
Ranking change: On300 debut, +20 positionally and +6 in the state (+3 rating)

Fort Wayne (Ind.) Snider S Brandon Logan

New ranking: No. 248 overall player, No. 21 safety nationally and No. 8 prospect in Indiana (92 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 31 safety nationally and No. 10 prospect in Indiana (90 rating)
Ranking change: On300 debut, +11 positionally and +2 in the state (+2 rating)

Elmhurst (Ill.) IC Catholic Prep LB Dominik Hulak 

New ranking: No. 279 overall player, No. 31 EDGE nationally and No. 9 prospect in Illinois (91 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 279 overall player, No. 30 EDGE nationally and No. 10 prospect in Illinois (90 rating)
Ranking change: N/C overall, -1 positionally and +1 in the state (+1 rating)

Notre Dame commits outside the final 2025 class On300

Greenville (Ga.) High WR Antavious Richardson

New ranking: No. 8 athlete nationally and No. 50 prospect in Georgia (90 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 287 overall player, No. 6 athlete nationally and No. 35 prospect in Georgia (90 rating)
Ranking change: No longer in On300, -2 positionally and -15 in the state (same rating)

Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic WR Elijah Burress

New ranking: No. 56 wide receiver nationally and No. 9 prospect in New Jersey (89 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 125 wide receiver nationally and No. 19 prospect in New Jersey (88 rating)
Ranking change: +69 positionally and +10 in the state (+1 rating)

Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick School QB Blake Hebert

New ranking: No. 37 quarterback nationally and No. 3 prospect in Connecticut (89 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 35 quarterback nationally and No. 3 prospect in Connecticut (89 rating)
Ranking change: -2 positionally and N/C in the state (same rating)

Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick School OT Matty Augustine

New ranking: No. 43 offensive tackle nationally and No. 5 prospect in Connecticut (89 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 42 offensive tackle nationally and No. 5 prospect in Connecticut (89 rating)
Ranking change: -1 positionally and N/C in the state (same rating)

Elmhurst (Ill.) York DL Joseph Reiff

New ranking: No. 42 defensive lineman nationally and No. 14 prospect in Illinois (89 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 29 defensive lineman nationally and No. 14 prospect in Illinois (90 rating)
Ranking change: No longer in On300, -13 positionally and N/C in the state (-1 rating)

Honolulu Punahou LB Ko’o Kia

New ranking: No. 49 linebacker nationally and No. 3 prospect in Hawai’i (89 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 38 linebacker nationally and No. 3 prospect in Hawai’i (89 rating)
Ranking change: -11 positionally and N/C in the state (same rating)

Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic Memorial OT Owen Strebig

New ranking: No. 56 offensive tackle nationally and No. 8 prospect in Wisconsin (88 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 55 offensive tackle nationally and No. 4 prospect in Wisconsin (88 rating)
Ranking change: -1 positionally and -4 in the state (same rating)

Phoenix Brophy College Prep CB Cree Thomas

New ranking: No. 80 cornerback nationally and No. 7 prospect in Arizona (88 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 78 cornerback nationally and No. 8 prospect in Arizona (88 rating)
Ranking change: -2 positionally and -1 in the state (same rating)

Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick School S Ethan Long

New ranking: No. 58 safety nationally and No. 9 prospect in Connecticut (88 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 74 safety nationally and No. 9 prospect in Connecticut (88 rating)
Ranking change: +16 positionally and N/C in the state (same rating)

Philadelphia St. Joseph’s Prep LB Anthony Sacca

New ranking: No. 73 linebacker nationally and No. 17 prospect in Pennsylvania (88 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 89 linebacker nationally and No. 25 prospect in Pennsylvania (87 rating)
Ranking change: +16 positionally and +8 in the state (+1 rating)

Miami Palmetto DL Davion Dixon

New ranking: No. 104 defensive lineman nationally and No. 121 prospect in Florida (87 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 140 defensive lineman nationally and No. 170 prospect in Florida (86 rating)
Ranking change: +36 positionally and +49 in the state (+1 rating)

College Park (Ga.) Woodward Academy WR Jerome Bettis Jr.

New ranking: No. 172 wide receiver nationally and No. 117 prospect in Georgia (87 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 194 wide receiver nationally and No. 113 prospect in Georgia (87 rating)
Ranking change: +22 positionally and +4 in the state (same rating)

Cincinnati St. Xavier DL Gordy Sulfsted 

New ranking: No. 112 defensive lineman nationally and No. 51 prospect in Ohio (87 rating)
Previous ranking: No. 111 defensive lineman nationally and No. 47 prospect in Ohio (87 rating)
Ranking change: -1 positionally and -4 in the state (same rating)