Notre Dame just put together another tremendous recruiting weekend for an impressive list of visitors. Expect some good news for the Fighting Irish in the future.
It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that Notre Dame football just put together another outstanding recruiting weekend for a host of impressive players from the 2027 and 2028 classes. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish always do well when they get recruits to campus in South Bend, and this past weekend was just another example of that.
Over the last 24 hours or so, I've done my best to gain as much information about the visitors who were in South Bend. That included touching base with folks on the Notre Dame side, as well as talking to some others closer to the recruits and their families. It's safe to say that the vibes are extremely high, especially for those who stayed until later on Sunday.
Here is everything that I have learned from another pivotal recruiting weekend.
It only feels right to begin with a few dynamic 2027 wide receiver targets that were on campus. None is more notable than Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas star Julius Jones Jr. , the son of the former Irish star running back from the early 2000s. Notre Dame is in a heated battle with Oregon for Jones, while teams like Florida continue to push, as well.
The visit was another great one, per source. I do believe this one comes down to Notre Dame or Oregon in the end. Jones is such an easy fit in South Bend that I continue to maintain that I believe the Irish will be the pick, and there is certainly confidence on the Notre Dame side. Closing strong will be the key, but the Irish are in the driver's seat. The Irish need Jones's combination of speed, quickness, and after catch ability.
Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standout Osani Gayles also made the trip to South Bend, which is a good sign for Notre Dame. There hasn't been a ton of conversation around Gayles recently due to the heavy demand for him. It sounds like the Irish made a strong push for Gayles, but I will be interested to see if they get an official visit. That will determine just what their chances are, but this weekend was certainly a good step.
Perhaps the most interesting visitor was Frisco (Texas) High School athlete Brennen Lacey , who was a later addition to the list. Lacey was offered by Notre Dame back on March 5… as a running back. With the commitments of Latham Whisenton and Isaiah Rogers , it was all but assumed that Lacey was off the board.
Instead, the Irish are now recruiting the 6-0, 187-pound playmaker as a wide receiver, a position he has played a lot on the high school level. Lacey's ability after the catch and overall speed are still something that Notre Dame has interest in. Giving the Texas standout a chance to mesh with wide receivers coach Mike Brown in person was huge, and Lacey deserves some more attention moving forward as the program figures out the wide receiver room.
Notre Dame also hosted 2027 Manvel (Texas) High School safety Karnell "Greedy" James for a visit, who is currently committed to the Texas Longhorns . This has been a heavily anticipated trip for the Irish staff. From what I've been told, the Notre Dame side is very happy with how everything went. I have my questions about whether it will be enough to make a flip happen, but Notre Dame is certainly doing everything it can to do so.
In a lot of ways, the recruitment of 2027 Middletown (Del.) Appoquinimink offensive tackle Layton von Brandt reminds me a ton of Owen Strebig in the 2025 class. They are/were both national recruits who insisted on letting the process play out, but it just always felt like Notre Dame was going to win out in the end. My perspective on von Brandt after this weekend.
2027 Kindred (SD) High School athlete Luke Starcevic also made the trip, a player that Joe Rudolph is recruiting as an offensive lineman. Depending on which program you talk to, some view Starcevic as a tight end (where he plays in high school), and others on defense. Notre Dame made great progress this weekend. He is a priority for them moving forward.
When you talk about pure upside, no visitor might have more than 2027 Greenwich (Conn.) County Day EDGE Mekai Brown . The 6-7, 230-pound pass rusher has been a player this Notre Dame program has loved for some time now. While the Irish have been in Brown's top group, I have admittedly been hesitant about their chances.
From conversations I had this weekend, I do believe that Notre Dame strengthened their chances. They were also able to impress his support system, including his mom, on the trip. I just don't think it'll be enough in the end, but we will see.
While the key 2027 recruiting targets were the main talking point this past weekend, Notre Dame also had a few top 2028 players on campus. That included 2028 Zionsville (Ind.) High School tight end Theo Schott, a local star whom the Irish have high opinions of early.
There is going to be a natural appeal to the Fighting Irish for Schott and his family for obvious reasons, but this is a national recruit with a ton of interest. This visit was considered a success. Notre Dame must continue to get Schott back to South Bend as often as possible to win out in the end. They're in a good spot so far.
The Irish staff also hosted 2028 Alexander City (Al.) Benjamin Russell quarterback Kingston Preyear, who is considered to be a five-star player according to the 247 Sports Composite ranking. Getting Preyear on campus is a big deal for Notre Dame. I have no idea if they'll be able to win out in the end, but there's clearly interest there. It was another successful weekend for this recruitment.
