Next up in the first edition of The Heat Index for Notre Dame’s 2025 class is the defensive tackle position.

The Irish started their 2025 class with a commitment from Davion Dixon, a four-star defensive tackle from Florida, and really need the future nose tackle to stick with his pledge.

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But the Irish are still looking for a three-technique defensive tackle to complement Dixon. Notre Dame’s hunt for options has included high school defensive ends and prospects likely to go elsewhere, but there’s a long way to go until the December early signing period. I’ve assigned the following heat ratings for Notre Dame’s four top remaining targets:

Medium for Javeon Campbell and Darren Ikinnagbon
Plain for Ethan Utley and Antonio Coleman

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For more details on those four defensive tackle targets, follow the link below.


Coming tomorrow (Wednesday): a linebackers update.

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Notre Dame remains in a very good position to land Bettis with a visit coming up later this month:

The Irish looked like they could hang with North Carolina for about 11 minutes of the first half Tuesday night. Then the Tar Heels showed Notre Dame what it looks like at the top of the ACC.

The Heat Index has been updated with the following changes:

WR Koby Howard’s debut on The Heat Index comes with a heat rating of Mild with a visit scheduled for April 6.
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WR Tanook Hines’ debut comes with a heat rating of Plain with a visit scheduled for April 6.
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Notre Dame men's basketball has been hot of late with wins in five of its last six games. But the Irish (12-17, 7-11 ACC) will be taking on arguably their toughest test of the season tonight at No. 7 North Carolina.

The Tar Heels (23-6, 15-3 ACC) have won four straight and 13 of their 14 home games this season. The only loss in the Smith Center came to Clemson, 80-76, on Feb. 6. Nearly a month later, the Irish will try to pull off the upset as well.

North Carolina is tough to beat because it is one of the best rebounding teams in the country (40.79 rebounds per game rank No. 8 in D-I) and it gets to the free-throw line a lot. UNC ranks No. 16 in free throw attempts per game (23.7) and No. 10 in free throws made per game (17.9) despite ranking No. 53 in free-throw shooting percentage (75.3).

The Tar Heels have the No. 28 scoring offense in the country with 81.4 points per game. They're led by 6-foot guard RJ Davis, who averages 21.4 points per game. Center Armando Bacot (6-11) scores 14.0 points and grabs 10.3 rebounds per game. Forward Harrison Ingram (6-7) has been adding 12.5 points per game.

Tuesday night will be the first time grad transfer guard Cormac Ryan will face his former team Notre Dame. Ryan, a 28-game starter, is averaging 10.7 points per game and shooting 36.4% from the field and 32.1% from 3.

Tip: 7 p.m. EST
Watch: ACC Network
Listen: Notre Dame Radio Network

Notre Dame season stats:

Ross Dellenger's latest for Yahoo Sports:

The Dartmouth men’s basketball team voted Tuesday to unionize — the first Division I college athletics team to hold a public unionization effort.

While historic, the move is likely months away from directly impacting other college athletic programs as an appeals process works its way through the National Labor Relations Board, the independent agency that enforces U.S. labor law related to collective bargaining.

The team voted 13-2 to unionize and authorized the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to bargain on their behalf. A powerful and politically connected organization, the SEIU represents nearly 2 million employees over 100 occupations. The team is expected to present a list of demands, potentially including a student wage, more medical coverage and better treatment in a variety of team-related issues.

Full story:

Didn’t realize our entire team is essentially McDonald’s all Americans, incl watson and kk.
interesting. I think size is Hugh in high school

The ACC Network's Kelly Gramlich and Eric Mac Lain recorded an ACC Women's Basketball Tournament preview, and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo was one of their guests (22:29).

Check it below if you're interested.

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https://live.jotcast.com/chat/notre-dame-football-live-chat-march-6-2024-17830.html

Slow to news here, but 2024 forward Mackenly Randolph announced a verbal commitment to Louisville on Feb. 24.

Randolph, ranked No. 21 overall in the 2024 class by ESPNW, didn't end her recruitment during the early signing period in November. But she's now committed after considering Notre Dame and Michigan State down the stretch as well. Randolph can sign with Cardinals beginning April 17.

Randolph was the last remaining target for Notre Dame in the 2024 class. The Irish only signed one 2024 recruit in 6-foot-4 Kate Koval, ESPNW's No. 1 post and No. 4 overall prospect in the class.

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Notre Dame freshman point guard Hannah Hidalgo won the ACC Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, as announced just now on the ACC Network.

Virginia Tech's Elizabeth Kitley was named ACC Player of the Year.

Hidalgo was Notre Dame's lone representative on the 10-player All-ACC First Team. Two of her teammates made the All-ACC Second Team: senior forward Maddy Westbeld and junior guard Sonia Citron.

Story:

New Rivals national recruiting analyst Marshall Levenson caught up with 2026 quarterback Jared Curtis.

Curtis has been operating with a top six of Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee and Texas A&M, but he's looking to make some spring visits to schools not on that list. One of them is Notre Dame. The Irish offered Curtis last May.


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@Greg Smith highlights five rankings storylines to follow in the Midwest in the 2025 class:

A great year in Kansas
Missouri receivers lead the way
Illinois defensive linemen standing out again
Prospects on the rise in Ohio
Cream of the crop in Nebraska

The Heat Index has been updated with the following changes:

LB Gavin Nix’s heat rating has been upgraded from Mild to Medium due to him scheduling an unofficial visit for March.
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CB Jahmir Joseph’s heat check now reflects his official visit schedule for Stanford and Notre Dame.
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DT Antonio Coleman’s heat check now reflects that he’s flipped his commitment from Auburn back to Alabama.
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DT Ethan Utley’s heat check now reflects his plan to announce a commitment on March 28.
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Remember: The Heat Index for the 2025 class is always available in the pinned threads above.

Join us at 7 p.m. EST on YouTube as @Eric Hansen and I go live for the next weekly edition of "Football Never Sleeps."

We'll discuss Friday's press conferences with Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and linebackers coach Max Bullough, how they can impact the Irish next season and more recruiting news while answering questions from viewers.

Football Never Sleeps is sponsored by Legacy Heating & Air.

We hope you join us live with questions or submit some ahead of time. Hit the bell to set a reminder to get notified when we go live.

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If you'd like to submit questions, make sure you click through so you're watching on YouTube's site or in the YouTube app if you're on mobile. You can do so by clicking the headline at the top of the embedded video above. So where it says "Football Never Sleeps: ..." Or there should be spot that says "Watch on YouTube" in the bottom left.

Then to submit questions, there's a chat box to the right of the video on desktop or below the video on mobile.

Click here to subscribe to Inside ND Sports on YouTube.

An amazing performance by her this past week.

One of the reporters ask Maddie if because this was her last game at Notre Dame what would her legacy be or how did she feel about the team or words to that effect. Has Maddie made any announcement or indication she is not going to return next year? Also another reporter suggested to Coach Ivey there is a rumor Olivia miles feels like she feels she no longer has a place on the team with how well Hannah played this year. Coaches response was sort of strange when she said you’ll have to talk to her. as the old saying goes where they smoke there’s fire? Has anyone lit a match?

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I'll have a full story later today.

Inside ND Sports offers an overview of three recruiting storylines to follow for Notre Dame in the 2025 class this spring.

Recruits highlighted include:

2025 QB commit Deuce Knight

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2025 WR target Jerome Bettis Jr.

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2025 CB target Mark Zackery

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2025 LB target Madden Faraimo

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2025 WR target Derek Meadows

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Link to full story:

Release from Notre Dame:

CHARLOTTE – Notre Dame freshman sensation Markus Burton continues to surge down the final stretch of the season and picking up a lot of attention in the meantime. Case in point on Monday, Burton earned his fourth ACC Rookie of the Week award, setting a new Notre Dame/ACC record. It marked Burton’s third honor over the last four weeks.

Burton averaged 26.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals in a 2-0 week in which the Fighting Irish knocked off Wake Forest and Clemson at home. A native of Mishawaka, Indiana, Burton shot 17-of-31 (54.8 percent) from the field in the wins.

Burton started his week by dropping a career-high 31 points against Wake Forest on 9-of-15 shooting, plus a career-best 11-11 from the free-throw line. He also racked up three rebounds, three assists and four steals. He followed that up with a game-high 21 points against Clemson, of which 17 came in the first half. Burton shot 8-of-16 and grabbed a season-best six rebounds while dishing out four assists.

And how’s this for an ACC Rookie of the Year resume: Burton is the only rookie in the country (and just 1-of-4 players overall in Division I) averaging at least 17.0 points, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals. Amongst ACC rookies, Burton ranks first in scoring, first in steals and second in assists.

In league play, amongst all ACC players: Burton ranks fifth in scoring (17.6 ppg), third in assists (4.8) and firsst in steals (2.3).

Burton and the Fighting Irish travel to Chapel Hill to take on North Carolina on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on ACC Network

@Adam Gorney looks back on the recruitment of 10 NFL Combine stars, including Notre Dame's Joe Alt.

The Alt sections discusses what Rivals learned from underrating him as a three-star recruit.

@RivalsFriedman highlights five 2026 recruits on the rise in the East region.

It includes OL Carter Scruggs, who plans to visit Notre Dame later this month.

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Full story: