I hope all the fathers on the board enjoy a great day! I wouldn't be the person I am without my father, so I hope you all either have/had that kind of father in your life or can be that kind of father for a child.

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I spoke with Notre Dame men's basketball 2025 power forward prospect Jack McCaffery Saturday afternoon. His father is Iowa men's basketball head coach Fran McCaffery. Unlike his older brothers Connor and Patrick, Jack doesn't plan on attending Iowa.

Jack received a text from head coach Micah Shrewsberry on Thursday at midnight, the earliest coaches could contact players in the 2025 recruiting class. Jack also had a phone call with Shrewsberry on Friday.

"We just talked about their style of play, what type of guys he's looking to recruit," Jack told Inside ND Sports. "He said he's going to watch me come play in July. He seems like a really nice guy. My dad respects him so that's a big thing. I know the type of players that he coached when he was in the NBA, at Purdue and Penn State. He's had players like me and I could grow under him as a coach."

The 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward attends Iowa City (Iowa) West and plays on the Adidas grassroots basketball circuit with D1 Minnesota. As a sophomore, Jack averaged 16 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game.

"I can dribble, pass and shoot, I'd say passing is definitely the best part of my game," Jack said. "I feel like I'm really versatile. I guard a lot of positions and I can do a lot on the floor. I can post up and shoot the ball well from the 3-point line."

Fran served as an assistant coach at Notre Dame from 1988-99 and Jack's mother, Margaret, played on Notre Dame women's basketball team from 1988-92.

"That'd be a pretty cool situation if I ended up there," Jack said.

Jack doesn't hold any offers currently. However, he told me coaches hadn't started reaching out to him until Thursday because they presumed he was going to Iowa.

He's receiving interest from Notre Dame, Boise State, Ohio State, TCU and Utah State. While looking at colleges, Jack said his decision will come down to academics and relationships with coaches and players. He didn't mention NIL.

If an offer were to come in July after he plays in front of Shrewsberry, Jack said he'd love to visit Notre Dame.

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I met with Marcus Freeman this morning for 30 minutes, and split my time between catching up on team status things and big-picture questions. ... I'll post the big-picture story Friday morning. which will include progress on Notre Dame's incoming transfer policy, the Gug expansion, NIL and recruiting and more. I'll also update the depth chart this afternoon, based on our conversations and have a notebook that I'll post later today.

For now, wanted to share some notes with our subscribers:

Health-wise the returning players and the newcomers are in a pretty good place. Freshman OT Charles Jagusah (PCL) and the two tight ends recovering from ACL tears -- Eli Raridon and Kevin Bauman -- are the only players Freeman said that are not doing 100 percent of the workouts the rest of their teammates are. He said Raridon and Bauman are doing a lot, just not the volume of the others. He expects them both to be 100 percent when training camp starts in late July.

CB Christian Gray, S Ben Minich, S Adon Shuler, S Thomas Harper, DL Devan Houstan, TE Mitchell Evans, OG Billy Schrauth and RB Jadarian Price are "all 100 percent".

Freeman said bringing in Penn State RB transfer Devyn Ford was NOT done to be insurance in case Price had a recovery setback from his ruptured Achilles tendon suffered last June. Ford had a skill set the ND coaches felt they were lacking in their running back room, and they felt like he could help them be a better team.

Freeman said that ND did its due diligence, but didn't seriously kick the tires on a QB transfer for depth after Tyler Buchner opted in late April to transfer to Alabama. He said he feels comfortable and confident in the three scholarship QBs he has in Sam Hartman, Steve Angeli and Kenny Minchey.

Freeman has only had the chance to see the 11 June-arriving freshmen run with the veteran players once since they started summer school classes on Monday, but the speed of Jeremiyah Love and Kaleb "KK" Smith impressed him, as did the way defensive linemen Boubacar Traore and Brenan Vernon moved.

Former Notre Dame player and current Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love had his No. 20 jersey retired at La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy.

Love was the first Nazareth Academy alumni to be selected in the NFL Draft after being chosen in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft with the No. 108 overall selection.

As a recruit, Love was part of Notre Dame's 2016 recruiting class. He was rated as a three-star and ranked as the No. 21 cornerback in the 2016 class. He chose the Irish over 13 offers including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Northwestern.

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Nazareth Academy is also home to 2025 defensive end target Gabe Kaminski.

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I spoke with Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit offensive coordinator Don Mesick this week. Mesick coaches Notre Dame 2025 running back target Justin Thurman. The 5-foot-11, 183-pound running back was listed as one of the most impressive performers at Notre Dame's Evaluation Camp I Thursday. It was his first time on campus since landing an offer in May.

Mesick gave insight into Thurman's strengths, competitive character, what he could improve on and more. A couple of quotes that stood out:

On Thurman's strengths:

"He's a guy who is a football player that runs track, it's not the other way around," Mesick told Inside ND Sports. "For a football player, he's really, really fast. His straight-ahead speed [and] the power with which he runs really is reminiscent of Eric Dickerson. The high knees and the tremendous strides that he takes, when he gets out in the open, there are not many guys on the football field that are going to catch him."

On what Thurman learned as a reserve last season:

"Last year, Justin was really competing for reps. We had a tremendous running back last year in Temple 2023 running back signee Joquez Smith. Justin was working just to try to get on the field. His intensity of practice and how much he wanted to please the coaches and take advantage of the limited opportunities that he got was really refreshing. He wasn't the best player on our team last year but he was working towards that goal ... that's what he wants to be. He wants to be the best at whatever he's doing at all times. That's a really good character trait to have especially when you go to college."

Although Rivals has not assigned Thurman a rating or ranking at this time, he reports 19 offers including Notre Dame, Auburn, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisville and Tennessee.

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I caught up with Notre Dame 2026 cornerback Elbert Hill late Friday. He received an offer after Notre Dame’s Evaluation Camp I Thursday.

The 5-foot-10, 161-pound cornerback attends Akron (Ohio) Hoban and reports nine total offers from Notre Dame, Akron, Central Michigan, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, San Jose State and UNLV.

Hill received his offer from head coach Marcus Freeman in his office following camp.

“I was excited when coach Freeman told me he wanted to offer me, it was amazing meeting the head coach of Notre Dame,” Hill told Inside ND Sports. “I like that he had a lot of great things to say about me.”

Hill struck up a good relationship with cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens while working out Thursday.

“It was amazing to camp with coach Mickens,” Hill said. “I like the way he shows his corners how to break on the ball.”

Hill told me he’s very interested in the Irish moving forward because of their academics and team culture. He told me doesn’t have any leaders right now but said his recent Ohio State offer meant a lot to him personally being from Ohio. He would like to visit Notre Dame in the fall.

Rivals has not assigned star ratings or rankings to prospects in the 2026 recruiting class.

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I spoke with Notre Dame 2025 offensive tackle target Rowan Byrne Friday morning. He's traveling to Wisconsin for a visit this weekend. He picked up an offer from the Irish yesterday after camping with offensive line coach Joe Rudolph.

The 6-foot-6, 285-pound offensive tackle is rated as a three-star by Rivals. He is ranked as the No. 23 offensive tackle in the 2025 recruiting class.

Byrne told me he'd been in contact with Rudolph leading up to camp and knew he had to perform on the field before he received an offer.

"It's like your dream comes to life," Byrne told Inside ND Sports. "I don't even know if it's really still me fully yet. I was extremely excited ... almost tears of joy.

"Working with him was fantastic. I think he understands me really well. I think me and him are close. We have a really great relationship. I think the way he explains things, the way he interacts with his players on the field while coaching them. I think he does a really good job with it."

The New Rochelle (N.Y.) Iona Prep product also spoke glowingly of head coach Marcus Freeman.

"You get this feeling that he connects really well with his players," Byrne said. "He really cares about them. He loves everybody on the team, they're almost like his sons. It's a big family but he expects you to work hard for him."

Byrne holds 17 total offers including Notre Dame. Michigan, Penn State, Stanford, Texas A&M and Wisconsin.

It's early but it sounded like Bryne holds Notre Dame, Michigan and Wisconsin in higher regard than the others. Academics and relationships with coaches will be big factors here.

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New Rivals national recruiting analyst @Cole Patterson, whose focus is the Mid-South region, discusses Notre Dame's recent recruiting success in Texas, a pair of 2025 wide receivers considering the Irish, his confidence in ND freshman WR Jaden Greathouse, the skill sets of 2024 ND commits Loghan Thomas and Kedren Young, Texas Tech's recruiting relevance, 2025 QB target Deuce Knight's potential and more.

Then @Charleston Bowles and I answer questions from Twitter and The Insider Lounge (23:53).

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I spoke with Notre Dame men's basketball 2025 center target Christian Gurdak Friday morning. The 6-foot-8, 220-pound recruit tweeted an offer from the Irish late Thursday night. Gurdak had previously been offered by head coach Micah Shrewsberry at Penn State and visited the Nittany Lions last fall.

Thursday was the first time coaches could directly contact players in the 2025 recruiting class.

"We've been talking this whole time before they could call because they went through my coaches," Gurdak told Inside ND Sports. "It was really cool to talk to him over the phone. He offered me and it was exciting."

Gurdak told me he closely follows Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. He said he predicates his game on defending and being a capable shotmaker from anywhere on the court.

After watching Shrewsberry at Penn State, Gurdak could see himself playing for him at Notre Dame. He said Shrewsberry specifically likes his ability to run the floor and finish at the rim.

"You watch his games, you can see he really gets into it," Gurdak said. "That's really important I think in a coach. He is really nice guy but he's really straight up with you. He's not going to lie to you which I think is also really important. He's really great. I don't think there can be a nicer coach."

Gurdak attends Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga College High and plays for Team Takeover. He's former teammates with Notre Dame 2024 forward target Garrett Sundra at Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI.

"He's one of my best friends," Gurdak said. "His game is super fluid. He's a great shooter. He really stretches the floor well and he's really tall so he can finish inside as well. He's a great player I think he's going to do really well at the future level."

Gurdak does not hold a star rating or ranking by Rivals currently. He holds four offers from Notre Dame, Iowa, Maryland and Penn State. He's also receiving interest from Virginia and Virginia Tech.

No visit is expected this summer but Gurdak is expecting to build his relationship with the staff and potentially visit in the fall or winter.

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Graphic from SEC Network

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I caught up with 2026 quarterback target Noah Grubbs this morning. Notre Dame offered the Lake Mary (Fla.) High product Thursday after camp. Grubbs is camping at LSU Friday.

Grubbs threw for 1598 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions as a freshman.

"My quarterback trainer, Coach Baylin [Trujillo], has a good relationship with quarterbacks coach [Gino] Guidugli, so they have been communicating," Grubbs told Inside ND Sports. "I knew if I was able to just do what I love and throw it around in front of the coaches, I would have a good opportunity for an offer. Knowing the magnitude of an offer like Notre Dame, it’s still surreal that I was offered by historically the most prestigious university in college football."

After camping with Guidugli, Grubbs said he's very detailed and specific with his critiques, which he wants from his position coach.

Grubbs also met head coach Marcus Freeman and said he'll never forget their interaction.

"Coach Freeman really seems like a players coach and is very detailed in what he wants and expects from the players he is coaching," Grubbs said. "It is still surreal to think my first ever conversation with him was in his office telling me he was offering me a scholarship."

Although only a sophomore, Grubbs has plans for his recruitment. He plans to be an early enrolee wherever he attends and wants to compete as soon as he gets on campus.

"I will base it off the feeling I had when I first arrived on their campus," Grubbs said. "I want to feel at home. I want my family to have ties to a university in some capacity. Of course, I would love [it] if my quarterback coach has a relationship with my quarterback trainer so that I am always being developed and getting better in the offseason."

The 6-foot-4, 219-pound signal caller reports eight offers from Notre Dame, Charlotte, Miami (Fla.), Texas A&M, UAB, UCF, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. He's also receiving interest from Florida, Florida Atlantic, Florida State and Nebraska.

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Notre Dame 2025 quarterback target Blake Hebert tweeted Tuesday night that he'll announce his college decision this Friday.

The Irish offered Herbert last Saturday. The 6-foot-3, 214-pound signal caller attends Lawrence (Mass.) Central Catholic and reports 18 total offers including Notre Dame, Auburn, Clemson, Penn State, Rutgers and Virginia.

Hebert caught up with @Tyler James earlier this week.

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@John Garcia Jr. and @Adam Gorney gave Notre Dame QB commit CJ Carr high marks for his performance Thursday night.


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Notre Dame's official visitors for the June 16-18 weekend arrive on campus Friday morning.

The 2024 recruits visiting include DE commit Bryce Young, WR commit Micah Gilbert, TE commit Jack Larsen, S target Malcolm Ziglar, LB target Keyshawn Flowers, RB commit Aneyas Williams, WR commit Isiah Canion and LB target Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa.

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Notre Dame kicked off its third official visitors weekend Friday morning. The Irish are hosting several commits and a few defensive targets led by four-star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. Inside ND Sports was on sight as the recruits arrived minutes ago.

2024 LB target Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa

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Notre Dame's official visitors have arrived on campus. Here's where the Irish stand with the 2024 targets coming into the weekend.

My observations on 15 standout recruits from Thursday's evaluation camp.

The five new offers: 2024 S Taebron Bennie-Powell, 2026 CB Elbert Hill, 2025 OL Rowan Byrne, 2026 QB Noah Grubbs and 2025 CB Charles "CJ" Bell.

Five impressive performers: 2025 RB Justin Thurman, 2025 LB Marcus James, 2026 WR Jordan Clay, 2025 TE Marshall Pritchett and 2025 DE Adam Shovlin.

Five names to remember: 2025 LB Dominik Hulak, 2026 OL Tyler Merrill, 2026 WR Milan Parris, 2025 WR Corey Simms and 2025 DE Erik Gayle.

We now know the updated position rankings for Notre Dame's five offensive commits who didn't make the new Rivals250 for the 2024 class.

The two four-star recruits, tight end Jack Larsen and wide receiver Micah Gilbert, dropped at their positions. Larsen dropped from No. 10 to No. 16 at tight end. Gilbert dropped from No. 40 to No. 51.

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The other three recruits remained three-star recruits: offensive linemen Styles Prescod and Anthonie Knapp and wide receiver Isiah Canion. However, Prescod's Rivals Rating jumped from a 5.5 to a 5.7, the highest level for a three-star recruit.

Prescod is now the No. 61 offensive tackle. Knapp is now the No. 65 offensive tackle. Previously, Rivals only ranked 60 offensive tackles and neither were included.

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Canion didn't see any movement at all. He remains a 5.6 three-star recruit and isn't ranked among the top 100 wide receivers in the class.

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Notre Dame's first evaluation camp wrapped up earlier this afternoon. Any new offers reported will go in this thread.

First one comes from 2026 Ohio CB Elbert Hill.

Notre Dame is his ninth offer on a list that also includes Ohio State, Michigan and Miami.

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These are the six best plays I caught on camera at today's evaluation camp.

Players highlighted included 2026 OL Tyler Merrill, 2026 WR Jordan Clay, 2025 TE Marshall Pritchett, 2025 WR CJ Simon, 2026 CB Elbert Hill and 2025 WR DeShaun Williams.

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@Adam Gorney and @John Garcia Jr. are our guys on the scene at the Elite 11 Finals. They ranked the participants 1-20 based on last night's performances.

Notre Dame QB commit CJ Carr came in at No. 6.

Nate Roberts, a four-star tight end in the 2025 class, plans to announce his commitment decision on Saturday. He shared the news on Twitter.

Roberts recently made his second visit to Notre Dame. I've entered a Rivals FutureCast prediction in favor of Notre Dame.

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Not a lot of movement since the end of spring, but certainly better team health overall. The linebacker competition and how right offensive guard shakes out will be some of the more intriguing July/August storylines.