Notre Dame
kicked off an important stretch for 2027 recruiting with some interesting news. What's the latest for the Fighting Irish
?
Notre Dame football
is set to kick off an extremely important stretch for the 2027 recruiting class. There was expected to be some clarity about the final wide receiver group, but that has been delayed a bit with some of the latest recruiting news.
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Let's start with Severn (Md.) Archbishop Spalding wide receiver Myles McAfee
, whose official visit has been cancelled this weekend. There was some belief that Notre Dame could have closed on McAfee with a strong visit, but the Fighting Irish have chosen to go a different direction. McAfee is expected to land with either Virginia Tech
or Maryland
in the end.
It's an interesting strategy by the Fighting Irish staff, and we will see how it works out. McAfee is a talented player, but their opinion of him wasn't quite high enough to make the final move.
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Myles McAfee's recruiting background
Rivals has McAfee rated as a three-star player, while both 247 Sports and ESPN have him pegged as a four-star. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, McAfee is ranked as the No. 211 overall player, the No. 31 wide receiver, and the No. 5 player from the state of Maryland for the 2027 recruiting class. ESPN has him rated highest, sitting at No. 65 overall.
There has been a long list of impressive programs that have pushed for McAfee. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Ohio State, Miami, Indiana, Florida State, Auburn, Nebraska, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin
, West Virginia
, Boston College
, Pitt, Maryland, Duke, Syracuse, and Rutgers, among others.
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As a junior in 2025, McAfee put together a tremendous season for Archbishop Spalding. The 6-1, 170-pound pass catcher managed to haul in 54 receptions for 651 yards and ten touchdowns. That's coming off a sophomore season where McAfee had 703 receiving yards and ten more scores.
The latest with Julius Jones Jr.
2027 Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Julius Jones Jr.
also dropped some news about his official visit to Notre Dame. He was also scheduled to be in South Bend this week, but he will now be heading to campus the following weekend. There are several reasons for that, but the timing is extremely interesting considering that Jones is set to make his commitment on Sunday, June 21.
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Considered to be the No. 75 overall player on the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Jones is a Notre Dame legacy who has become a "can't miss" recruiting target for the Irish staff. Blessed with nuance and 10.5 100-meter speed, this is the type of dynamic playmaker that this Notre Dame offense needs more of. Jones is a very important remaining target in the class.
While Oregon
has done a good job in Jones' recruitment, on top of Miami's presence, this is Notre Dame's recruitment to lose. Barring something unforeseen, it would be shocking to see Jones end up somewhere other than in the Irish 2027 class. The rescheduling of his official visit could actually end up being a great strategy by Notre Dame.
A great strategy from Notre Dame
As things stand right now, I think that the most likely outcome is that Notre Dame lands Jones to pair with Irish commit Jackson Coleman
, and that's how the class ends. The team is opting for quality in this class, not needing volume with so many younger wide receivers set to return for the 2027 college football season. That has made them selective.
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If Notre Dame does push the number to three, it'll be because 2027 Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy star Osani Gayles
also wants to come. He will be visiting the same weekend as Jones, which feels like a great strategy. There will be a ton of Florida flavor in South Bend that weekend.
Jones' teammate, Zayden Gamble
, will also be in South Bend. He's a dynamic safety who is already committed to Notre Dame. Quarterback commit Champ Monds
will also be on campus, which was rescheduled from this weekend. That feels like the perfect group to help recruit a player like Gayles.
Whether Gayles ends up in the class or not, the Irish staff has done a very good job in this recruiting. They'll have one more final pitch before the dynamic pass catcher makes his college decision on June 27. The next two weeks will be interesting to watch with schools like Alabama
, Tennessee
, and Washington
continuing to push.
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This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: The latest Notre Dame football news makes the margin for error extremely small for 2027 wide receiver recruiting
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