Son of 1988 national championship team starter commits to Notre Dame football as PWO
2024 wide receiver Xavier Southall from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy verbally committed to the Notre Dame football team on Sunday. Southall will join the program as a preferred walk-on candidate.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Southall picked the Fighting Irish over FCS offers from Brown University and Alcorn State. He also previously visited Duke, Old Dominion and Princeton.
Southall told Blue & Gold that Irish wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey observed him at one of his spring practices. Notre Dame director of recruiting Chad Bowden offered him a preferred walk-on spot after his unofficial college recruiting visit on Saturday.
“I am just truly humbled and truly blessed to be given an opportunity,” Southall told Blue & Gold on Sunday. “I would just like to thank my parents, family, coaches, trainers, and teammates, for helping me get to this point.
“And I would truly like to thank (head) Coach (Marcus) Freeman, Coach Stuckey and Chad Bowden for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to be a member of this amazing family.”
Southall is the son of former Notre Dame free safety Cornelius “Corny” Southall. The elder Southall started on the Irish 1988 national championship team. After his football playing days, he worked for the United States Secret Service on the Presidential Protection Division for 27 years.
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The younger Southall transferred to IMG Academy in the spring for his high school senior season after playing for Alexandria (Va.) St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes. Last season, he had 15 receptions for 283 yards and five touchdowns.
Xavier played for the IMG Academy “White” Varsity team last Friday, not the national team that features the likes of David Stone, Ellis Robinson and Gavin Nix. Through four games with IMG Academy’s “White” Varsity team, Southall has caught 13 passes for 170 yards and 1 touchdown. He also has a 20-yard touchdown rush.
“IMG has two varsity teams (Blue and White) consisting of student-athletes who train with IMG’s expert, position-specific varsity coaching staff,” IMG Academy’s website explains. “IMG’s White team competes in the SSIA Conference within Florida and periodically competes out of state as well. This team has been ranked as a top 50 team in Florida on MaxPreps as well.”
Southall joins Notre Dame 2024 wide receiver commits, four-star Micah Gilbert and Cam Williams and three-star recruit Logan Saldate. Gilbert, Saladate and Williams will play for the Irish on full-ride scholarships.
Southall does not yet hold an On3 or On3 Industry Ranking rating.
