The Notre Dame coaching staff has taken a lot of criticism over the past two weeks, as multiple C/O 2026 “Top Targets” chose not to commit to Notre Dame. With Notre Dame set to host many top-tier talented recruits this summer, the coaching staff and recruiting department have a big chance to redeem themselves in the eyes of the fans if they can seal the deal and convince the visiting recruits in the coming months that Notre Dame is the place they should call home.
Photo by The Irish Tribune
Notre Dame is expecting a large number of top-tier talent to visit over the summer, but that didn't stop them from working hard on the 2027 class and the future. On St. Patrick's Day for the annual Pot of Gold Day, Marcus Freeman and the staff shocked Irish Fans when they offered nearly 100 class of 2027 recruits, with many highly sought-after recruits picking up offers.
Among those offered were ND Legacy 5-star WR Julius Jones Jr. (son of former NDFB Alum Julius Jones). Jones is ranked by 247Sports Composite as the No. 1 overall player in the state of Florida, and the No. 1 overall player in the country. Another Legacy offer went to DL Richie Flanigan (brother of NDFB TE James Flanigan, and son of NDFB Alum Jim Flanigan) ('90-'93). Also offered was DL Alifeleti Tuihalamaka, brother of NDFB LB Junior Tuihalamaka. Other notable offers were 5-star RB Honor Fa'alave Johnson, 5-star RB Landen Williams-Callis, 5-star Edge Chris Whitehead, 5-star KJ Green, 5-star OT Maxwell Hiller, 5-star OT Jake Hildebrand, 4-star WR Monshun Sales, and 4-star Xavier Sabb.
But before a splash can be made in the 2027 class, Freeman and the staff have to focus on the task at hand with all the 2026 visits coming up in the next several months. What will it take to convince them Notre Dame is the place they should be? I spoke to multiple recruits who will be visiting Notre Dame this summer to find out what this visit means to them and what they were looking forward to the most on their visit. The most common response I got while talking to them was the building of relationships with the coaches and staff. Every recruit I talked to spoke about just how important their relationships with the coaching staff are to them, and for most, it is a deciding factor in where they will choose to play football at the next level.
C/O 2027 QB Trae Taylor
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how this offense operates with a QB that is more of a passer than a runner and how I would personally fit into Notre Dame’s system. I’m hoping to talk to Coach Freeman more and start to build a relationship with him. I’m a relationship person and it will play a big role in my decision of where I play at the next level.”
C/O 2026 4-star RB DeZephen Walker
“It means a lot; it gives me and my family an opportunity to build a better relationship with the coaches and really see how the environment is when the season is over. I’m looking forward to building a closer relationship with coaches and getting a better feel for Notre Dame as a whole.”
C/O 2026 4-star TE JC Anderson
“To be able to visit Notre Dame is special to me, and for this to be an official visit means a lot to me. I’m really looking forward to meeting the players, spending time with the coaches, and having fun with the team.”
C/O 2026 4-star OT Tyler Merrill (ND Commit)
“I’m really excited to get back in June for the official visit. We have never been able to spend more than one day in South Bend or on campus, so to get to explore the area and campus a little deeper will be nice. I’m really looking forward to catching up with the other 2026 commits and the coaching staff. Hopefully, there will be some visitors that aren’t committed anywhere else yet so that we can have a positive influence on their recruitment to Notre Dame.”
C/O 2026 4-star IOL Sullivan Garvin (ND Commit)
“I’m very excited for my official visit. I get to experience my soon-to-be home for two days and get to spend time with the guys. I’m most looking forward to building better and stronger relationships with the commits, coaches, and our future targets.”
C/O 2026 4-star OT Gregory Patrick
“It means a lot to have the opportunity to visit this summer. Notre Dame has a great tradition of developing offensive linemen. Also, the culture that Coach Freeman has built in the team is evident. Notre Dame has a lot to offer besides football too with the level of academics. I’m really looking forward to spending time with the team and getting to talk to them. I’m also looking forward to hanging out with the other recruits and coaches as well.”
C/O 2026 3-star QB Legend Bey
“Visiting Notre Dame this summer is a big deal to me. I can’t wait for the experience of this visit it’s a dream come true. I’m really looking forward to meeting more staff, position coaches, and Coach Freeman. I’m also looking forward to exploring the campus and starting to build relationships with the coaches.”
C/O 2026 4-star OT Evan Goodwin
“These visits are all about the details. Learning more about the offense, O-Line room, and their process. Also, I really want to dive into the academics side of it at Notre Dame. What the classes would look like and how they fit in with football. It’s really about narrowing down where I want to be and where I fit in. I’m really looking forward to spending time with the coaches since I haven’t been able to get to know them yet. I really want to be around them more and talk to them to start to build a relationship with them.”
C/O 2026 3-star S Nick Reddish
“Feels great to take this next step into my recruitment with Notre Dame and the staff. I’m really looking for to talking more with the coaches and getting to know more about the networking and what Notre Dame offers for life after football.”
C/O 2026 4-star LB Tai'Yion King
“It really is a big deal to me to be able to visit campus again. I’ve been there a couple of times now and I just love the atmosphere there. Notre Dame just came from playing in a national championship game so to be able to visit right after that and see what it’s like to play at the highest level in the game is big for me. I’m also really excited to connect with the coaching staff again and continue to build a relationship with them.”
As you can see, the most important thing to the majority of the recruits is the relationship that is built between player and coach. Freeman has always been great about building relationships and making time for the players and their families. Will that be enough to land the top talent in the 2026 class? Only time will tell...Stay tuned.
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