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Look: Six key recruits arrive at Notre Dame for official visits

Kyle Kellyby:Kyle Kelly•06/20/25•

ByKyleKelly

Elijah Golden
Sarasota (Fla.) Benedictine Military Academy 2026 DL Elijah Golden on his Notre Dame official visit June 20, 2025. (Kyle Kelly/Blue & Gold)

Notre Dame football’s final official visitor weekend of the summer has begun. On Friday morning, six recruits, including four verbal commits, arrived at the Guglielmino Athletics Complex for their one allotted Fighting Irish official visit.

Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park five-star EDGE Rodney Dunham Jr. was the first to step off the bus. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Dunham is the No. 14 overall player and No. 2 EDGE in the 2026 cycle, making him the highest-ranked recruit on campus this weekend. The No. 2 player in North Carolina, Dunham committed to the Irish over Georgia, Tennessee and Duke on April 15.

Another headline recruit this weekend is Sarasota (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney defensive lineman Elijah Golden. He showed up for his fifth visit to Notre Dame and was the last to enter the Gug. Golden, a four-star prospect, is the last remaining target on the Irish defensive line board and a critical recruit for the interior. Listed at 6-foot-3½ and 260 pounds, Golden ranks as the No. 34 recruit in Florida and the No. 22 defensive lineman nationally.

Notre Dame also pairs Dunham with fellow North Carolina product Ebenzer Ewetade, a four-star recruit from South Garner High School. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound EDGE verbally committed to the Irish coaching staff during his last visit April 5. Ewetade, who arrived third on Friday, ranks No. 28 overall and No. 6 among EDGEs in the class, positioning him as a potential five-star prospect in On3’s rankings.

Savannah (Ga.) Benedictine Military School wide receiver Bubba Frazier is the only offensive player currently committed to Notre Dame visiting this weekend. The four-star recruit, ranked as the No. 33 player in Georgia and No. 47 wide receiver nationally. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound athlete has elite speed, posting a 10.54-second mark in the 100-meter dash this spring.

Joining Frazier on the offensive side is Avon (Conn.) Old Farms Prep offensive tackle Charlie Thom. Notre Dame offered the 6-foot-6½, 270-pound lineman earlier this week, and he could soon join the commit list. Rated as a three-star prospect and the No. 3 player in Connecticut by On3, Thom was the fourth recruit off the bus Friday after participating in one of the program’s evaluation camps earlier this month.

Cincinnati St. Xavier linebacker Kobe Clapper also made his way to campus, beaming as he arrived for his first visit to Notre Dame since committing on May 2. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Clapper is ranked as the No. 20 player in Ohio and the No. 30 linebacker nationally.

Heading into the weekend, Notre Dame holds the No. 6 spot in the 2026 Industry Ranking Football Team Recruiting Rankings. The Irish are aiming to bolster their class by adding Golden and Thom, along with Wyndmoor (Pa.) La Salle College four-star safety Joey O’Brien, a top-40 recruit in the class. O’Brien, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound prospect, is set to announce his decision tonight. He will choose between Notre Dame, Clemson, Oregon and Penn State. O’Brien was one of 21 official visitors last weekend.

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