Reliving the biggest Notre Dame recruiting headaches and missteps during the Marcus Freeman era so far

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Reliving the biggest Notre Dame recruiting headaches and missteps during the Marcus Freeman era so far

Sep 9, 2023; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Peyton Bowen (22) celebrates with Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Woodi Washington (5)during the fourth quarter against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Roberts

Mon, Jul 6, 2026 ·

4 min read

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Notre Dame has experienced some massive recruiting headaches during the Marcus Freeman era. Which are the biggest?

Notre Dame football recruiting under head coach Marcus Freeman has reached remarkable heights over the last several cycles, even as the NIL era and pay-for-play landscape reshaped college football. The Fighting Irish have navigated the chaos of constant negotiations, flip season, and roster jockeying better than almost any program in the country.

But as Freeman and his staff have learned, some recruiting headaches are unavoidable.

After 2028 quarterback Trey Tagliaferri decommitted and then committed to the Oklahoma Sooners just two days after six days with the Fighting Irish last week, it felt like the right time to revisit some of the most turbulent recruiting sagas Notre Dame has endured under Freeman.

The program has done a tremendous job limiting these situations, but a few exceptions have created real turmoil and fascinating backstories worth revisiting. This isn't every one of them, but those that stood out most.

Peyton Bowen's National Signing Day stunner

The place to start is Oklahoma safety Peyton Bowen , whose recruitment produced one of the wildest National Signing Day moments in years. Bowen committed to Notre Dame early in the process and spent the following months fielding constant rumors about visits to other programs and potentially going behind the Fighting Irish's back.

Throughout that stretch, Bowen fed the Notre Dame staff a series of explanations. He said he was supporting his brother Eli Bowen through the recruiting process and taking visits alongside current high school teammates. Eventually, it became clear the situation ran much deeper than those surface-level reasons.

In the days leading up to National Signing Day, rumors swirled about a potential flip to Oklahoma. But the 2023 Notre Dame commits held multiple Zoom meetings to prepare for Signing Day, and Bowen participated in those calls, continuing to reaffirm his commitment. A current Notre Dame player even called the night before to relay that Bowen had been on the final meeting, spoken with teammates afterwards, and confirmed he was signing with the Fighting Irish.

Then his letter of intent never arrived. Bowen held a National Signing Day ceremony in which he unveiled a commitment to the Oregon Ducks. Not Notre Dame. Not Oklahoma. Dan Lanning and Oregon, catching everyone off guard.

The saga didn't end there. That same night, Bowen had emotional phone conversations with former Notre Dame staff and players, reportedly telling them he had made a mistake and still wanted to sign with the Fighting Irish. By the next day, he officially signed with the Oklahoma Sooners, capping one of the most turbulent recruitments in recent college football history.

The Dante Moore and CJ Carr quarterback conflict

While less chaotic on the surface, Notre Dame's brief hold on 2023 quarterback Dante Moore created its own set of complications. Moore was a silent commit to the Fighting Irish staff for roughly two months, and during that stretch, he actively recruited players behind the scenes to join him at Notre Dame.

That included former Ohio State and current Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate , who Moore tried to bring to South Bend.

The turbulence began when 2024 quarterback CJ Carr made it known that he wanted to make his commitment to Notre Dame official. Both quarterbacks hailed from Michigan, and Moore did not want Carr in the same room. When the Notre Dame staff pushed to secure Carr's commitment, Moore chose to never go public with his pledge and ultimately reopened his recruitment. He committed to Oregon, later flipped to UCLA, and has since transferred back to the Ducks.

It remains an interesting what-if conversation. Had Moore gone public and embraced the situation, the trajectory of Notre Dame's quarterback recruiting could have looked different. Instead, those two months of behind-the-scenes maneuvering became another chapter in the program's recruiting headache file.

Deuce Knight couldn't say no

The Deuce Knight recruitment saga remains one of the wildest Notre Dame football recruiting episodes in the Marcus Freeman era. The former five-star quarterback committed to the Fighting Irish in early September before his senior season, and for roughly 10 months, he looked like the crown jewel of the 2025 class. Knight appeared to be a potent dual-threat signal caller with elite upside.

Then everything unraveled.

Around June of the following year, word started circulating that Knight was no longer settled in his Notre Dame commitment. Schools like Ole Miss and Auburn were continuing to push him hard, and Auburn quickly became the team to watch. The driving force behind Auburn's pursuit was Knight's developing relationship with former Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell.

During a dead period, Campbell and several other former Auburn alumni held an event designed to get Knight on campus (it was a strategic ploy not involving the Auburn staff). From that point forward, the recruitment took on a life of its own. For several months after that visit, Knight had been telling Auburn he was coming. Yet on the Notre Dame side, he continued to reaffirm that he was staying committed to the Fighting Irish.

He was playing both sides to a high degree. Everyone who followed the recruitment closely knew Knight was not going to sign with Notre Dame. He was in too deep on the Auburn side. Promises were made, things were said, and at some point, it was too late to mend any potential fences.

To their credit, the Irish staff handled the situation with the kind of foresight that comes from experience. While Knight was still technically committed to the class, Notre Dame was doing its due diligence behind the scenes. The staff wasn't going to kick a five-star recruit to the curb, but they also weren't going to sit idle.

Notre Dame eventually landed Blake Hebert , who was committed to Clemson at the time. The Irish were able to make that flip shortly after the Knight situation came to a close. That kind of proactive work was critical, and it stemmed directly from lessons learned during past recruiting battles like the Peyton Bowen saga. The staff had enough foresight to get in front of the chaos, and it didn't end up killing them in the end.

Knight did not officially decommit until October, but from roughly June through October, he knew he was going to Auburn. He was set in that decision. Conversations continued between Knight and the Notre Dame staff, yet he continued to stay firm publicly to the Fighting Irish for reasons that may never be fully understood.

At its core, this was a case of a good kid who had a very big problem telling people no. That inability to be upfront created months of unnecessary turbulence for both programs. Knight eventually signed with Auburn before transferring to Ole Miss this offseason, adding another layer to an already complicated story.

While the Dante Moore saga may have been more frustrating from a Notre Dame perspective, the Knight recruitment was the more chaotic of the two. Outside of the Bowen situation, it stands as one of the most turbulent recruiting experiences Notre Dame has dealt with under Freeman - and the Irish staff's ability to absorb the hit and pivot quickly made all the difference.

Dylan Edwards and the 5-minute decommitment

At one point in the 2023 recruiting class, Notre Dame held a commitment from talented running back Dylan Edwards out of Kansas. Despite his father being a former Kansas State star, the Irish were able to flip Edwards during a visit before his senior season. He only stayed committed for a couple of months, and things never seemed to be on solid footing. Edwards was extremely quiet. He didn't communicate much with the other Notre Dame commits in the class.

Then one of the more bizarre moments I can remember unfolded. A Notre Dame parent of a then-commit called me and said Edwards had just sent a text message to players and coaches that he was about to decommit. No less than five minutes later, Edwards posted his decommitment. He eventually signed with Colorado, transferred to Kansas State, and is now hoping to revitalize his career with the Kansas Jayhawks. It was not the best example of being upfront and honest with the staff or the current commits.

Brandon Davis-Swain's fractured marriage

In the 2024 recruiting class, Michigan defensive lineman Brandon Davis-Swain was the first commitment in the class. It surprised many, both in the media and the general public. Everyone knew Notre Dame liked Davis-Swain, but it was uncertain whether they were pushing heavily for him. He would eventually decommit after several weeks of flip rumors.

Down the stretch, he tried to hold Notre Dame for ransom by asking for more money. The Irish declined because, while they liked him, I don't believe they were solidified on him as a top target. It was a strange marriage fractured from the beginning, and Notre Dame eventually opted out of the relationship.

Davis-Swain signed with the Colorado Buffaloes.

Monroe Freeling's 24-hour silent commitment

Monroe Freeling was an incredibly talented 2023 offensive tackle target who eventually committed to Georgia. At one point, Notre Dame seemed like the front-runner, and Freeling had actually silently committed during a visit to South Bend. Before he left that same weekend, he opted to reopen his recruitment.

The disconnect stemmed from rumors on message boards suggesting Notre Dame might not hold a spot open for Freeling after landing a commitment from Elijah Page. In retrospect, that rumor was the fault of one person in Notre Dame media. Freeling probably should have taken offensive line coach Harry Hiestand at his word, but the damage was done. It did not sit well with Freeling and his family, making the visit tense and awkward. Notre Dame was no longer in contention.

Marco Jones and a positional mismatch

In the 2025 recruiting class, Notre Dame was in a good spot with California linebacker Marco Jones , who is now projected to be a starting defensive end for the Texas A&M Aggies heading into the 2026 season. Notre Dame originally recruited Jones as a linebacker, but as his body developed, it became apparent he was going to play defensive end at the college level. Former defensive line coach Al Washington didn't see Jones as a fit at the new position, and the Irish opted not to pursue him further.

I remember doing an interview with Jones on a video podcast where he was decked out in Notre Dame gear and could not have spoken higher about the Irish. I firmly believe he would have been a part of that 2025 class if Notre Dame had pushed down the stretch. Passing on a top-150 player with five-star upside at a new position was one of the more puzzling endings to a recruitment.

Ivan Taylor's quiet exit

Most remember the 2025 class for safety Ivan Taylor , the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor. Ivan committed to Notre Dame early and seemed incredibly firm for several months. Then he started taking visits to Ann Arbor and Tuscaloosa. The writing was on the wall. Despite hosting him for an official visit, Notre Dame could not hold on. Taylor eventually flipped to Michigan and later signed with Alabama. Everything on paper said he was a great fit as a student, a player, and a personality, but he convinced himself South Bend was not the right place.

Layton von Brandt's last-minute pivot

In the 2027 recruiting class, offensive lineman Layton von Brandt out of Delaware seemed to be trending toward Notre Dame for months. Then Auburn came into the picture. Von Brandt wanted certain assurances from the Irish on top of a significant NIL package. A few of those demands did not sit well with Notre Dame, and they stopped pursuing him, leaving Auburn to close things out.

Shaun Terry II and the lie that ended it all

2025 wide receiver Shaun Terry II from Ohio was a productive player whom Notre Dame was not fully sold on until he sent them an electronically timed speed video that clocked faster than a 4.6 flat. The Irish took his commitment, but Terry then took a visit to Missouri without telling the staff. When the information leaked, and Notre Dame confronted him, Terry chose to lie about it. As soon as that dishonesty surfaced, the Irish cut ties. It was a recruitment undone by deception, and Notre Dame moved on without looking back.

The bigger picture for Freeman and Notre Dame recruiting

These situations stand out precisely because they are exceptions, not the norm. Freeman and his staff have built a recruiting operation that minimizes these kinds of disruptions. Over the last two cycles in particular, Notre Dame has hit its stride on the trail, creating fewer and fewer problems while competing at an elite level nationally.

The reality of high school recruiting is that some headaches will always exist. Whether it comes from a player who proves difficult to manage, a family member seeking a significant payout, or missteps along the way, no program is immune. The Tagliaferri situation last week was the latest reminder of that - and Notre Dame will almost certainly face a few more before Freeman's tenure is done.

This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Reliving the biggest Notre Dame recruiting headaches and missteps during the Marcus Freeman era so far

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