Written by Connor D'Aquila - Writer - Twitter: ConnorDaquilaIT
With Notre Dame’s 2024 class rounding out quickly, 2025 targets have become the major priority for the staff. On July 30th, they will have their summer cookout for recruits, and it is time that fans learn some major names on the board. In this article, we will focus on the offensive side of the ball, and there is plenty to be excited about.
Check out the position-by-position breakdown below!
Photo by ON3
Quarterback
At the moment, Notre Dame seems to have put their eggs in the Deuce Knight basket. The 6-4+ dual-threat quarterback is a freak athlete who would bring a ton of versatility to the Notre Dame offense. The Irish Tribune will get more in depth with an article on him soon, but with an end-of-summer commitment timeline and a visit coming on July 27th, the staff and Coach Gino Guidugli have positioned themselves right in the mix with SEC competitors Ole Miss and Tennessee. Beyond Knight, Notre Dame has offered the top two quarterbacks in the class in Bryce Underwood and George MacIntyre, but there is little evidence of progress there. They have also missed out on talented throwers KJ Lacey and Blake Hebert. Other offers include Antwann Hill and Ryan Montgomery, and if they miss out on Knight, we will likely gain a lot of clarity on their other priorities.
Wide Receiver
This is a position that the Irish have recruited very well in recent classes thanks to the work of Coach Chansi Stuckey. It does appear, however, that top targets Ryan Williams and Jaime Ffrench will both be headed to Alabama. With that being said, there is still an extremely talented group left, with the top priority likely being Talyn Taylor. Out of Geneva Community in Illinois, he is a consensus four-star, top-100 recruit, who has gained the attention of many top programs. He already visited in March, but will make the trip back to South Bend for the July 30th barbecue, putting Notre Dame firmly in the mix. Also watch out for Jerome Bettis Jr., the son of the former Irish running back, who has had some impressive highlights this summer and shows tremendous upside. Other major priorities include Quincy Porter, Cooper Perry, Isaiah Mozee, Derek Meadows, Taz Williams, and Koby Howard. A particularly interesting prospect is Derek Meadows, who is listed at 6-5, 185 pounds and flashed a ton of talent and athleticism at the Irish Invasion camp. Notre Dame has a lot of options here, though, and fans should feel good about recruiting at the position.
Photo by 247 Sports
Running Back
Here, we will start with Justin Thurman, a talented back out of Florida, who Notre Dame appears to be in a great position with. Ranked as a consensus four-star recruit, he really came on Coach McCullough’s radar at the Irish Invasion camp this spring. According to all reports, he tested extremely well and flashed truly special athleticism. It also appears Thurman likes Notre Dame as much as they like him, as he will be back on campus for the July 30th barbecue and also plans on making a fall game visit. Other major offers at the position include Jordon Davison, Ousmane Kromah, Tory Blaylock, James Simon, Daniel Anderson, and Marquise Davis. Anderson and Davis have visits set for the cookout while Blaylock intends to visit soon. Kromah and Simon have also repeatedly mentioned Notre Dame in recruiting talks. The board here is extensive and talented, so we can only assume that Coach McCullough will continue his dominance at the position.
Tight End
The Irish have had about as good of a start as you could ask for here with Nate Roberts, so this section will be short and sweet. Given the Carter Nelson loss in this cycle, they definitely could take a second player in 2025, and there are a few to watch. Offers include James Flanigan, Ethan Barbour, AJ Ia, Ryan Ghea, and Jack VanDorsalear, but only a few are true prospects. Flanigan is an intriguing prospect, possessing impressive size and athleticism on both sides of the ball in high school. He is the son of former Irish standout, Jim Flanigan, who also had a 10-year NFL career, which should help the cause for the Irish. Beyond Flanigan, it is unclear who the Irish are making a priority, but if they could land him and Roberts, it would be a tough two-man tight end class to beat.
Photo by ON3
Offensive Line
This class will be important for new offensive line coach Joe Rudolph, as he looks to prove himself as a recruiter at Notre Dame. Headlining the current group is Owen Strebig, a massive 6-8, 295 offensive tackle out of Catholic Memorial in Wisconsin. A top-100 player, this would be a huge get for Notre Dame, who has put themselves in the mix early. He will make his third trip to South Bend for the July 30th cookout and has maintained that the Irish are a major contender. At tackle, other priorities include five-star Josh Petty, Avery Gach, Matty Augustine, Will Black, and Rowan Byrne. Augustine and Black earned offers after Notre Dame’s Linemen Challenge in June. Rowan Byrne has also been consistently high on the Irish and even labeled it his dream school, so that is certainly a name to keep an eye on. Currently, there are no offers for players listed on the inside, but Coach Rudolph could envision some versatility, and we will certainly see more offers soon. There is less clarity here than at other positions, but we should expect some movement soon.
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