Notre Dame hosted another crop of visitors last weekend. Here’s what we’re hearing about how the visits went and where the Irish stand with some of the 2025 and 2026 targets who made it campus and one important visit for a 2025 commit.
2025 CB target Trystan Haynes
Given that I put a FutureCast in for Haynes to eventually pick Notre Dame prior to his visit, there were expectations for his visit to go well. While Haynes isn’t wrapping up his recruitment at this stage, I was told by a source that visit was “excellent.” Notre Dame is a place that really appeals to Haynes, which is why his family drove 12 hours on Friday and 12 hours on Sunday to be there Saturday. Oklahoma likely remains the biggest threat for Notre Dame as the home-state school, but he’s had plenty of opportunities to commit to the Sooners at this point. As we previously reported in The Heat Index, Haynes plans to return for an official visit June 14-16.
2025 LB target Madden Faraimo
I can’t stress enough how high Notre Dame’s coaching staff is on Faraimo. I think he’d be the ideal finish to the position for the Irish, even though there are some other highly ranked options in that conversation too. Notre Dame believes it killed the visit and allowed Faraimo to fall in love with Notre Dame again. Faraimo made the visit alongside his mom, which is an important voice in his recruitment. USC is likely the top competition for the California product. If Faraimo can get over the distance hurdle, he may very well end up at Notre Dame.
2025 S commit Ivan Taylor
I wanted to do some digging on Taylor’s visit, because it was his first time back on campus since safeties coach Chris O’Leary left for the LA Chargers. One source told me the visit went “awesome.” Taylor wanted to sit down and talk football the whole time. Apparently he’s doing really well in the classroom back at Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange. A source told me that ND would love to have a recruit like Taylor at every position.
2026 LB target Simeon Caldwell
I didn’t know Caldwell had made his way to campus until later in the weekend. The Irish offered him on Pot of Gold Day, so he took the visit. He could be a safety or a linebacker at the next level. A source called him a “perfect Notre Dame kid.” He’s the son of Las Vegas Raiders defensive run game coordinator/linebackers coach Mike Caldwell, who spent the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Look for the Irish to be a player in Simeon’s recruitment moving forward.
2026 DE target Rodney Dunham
Dunham is another recruit that was described as a Notre Dame type of kid. He’s a baseball player as well, so we’ll see how much that plays in his recruitment in the future. We’ll see who else emerges as top competition for him, but I’d expect Notre Dame to be in the mix for this Charlotte area recruit.
2026 DE target Jerimy "JJ" Finch Jr.
You don’t really need anyone to tell you anything about Finch’s interest in Notre Dame. It’s obvious given that he visited Notre Dame twice last week — on Monday and Saturday — and he’s expected to return this weekend for the Blue-Gold Game. Notre Dame’s still getting to know Finch better as he’s a bit on the quieter side, but he’s someone I anticipate the Irish will push for early as long as everything checks out.
2026 CB target Brandon Lockhart
The USC commit made his first visit to Notre Dame, and it seems clear that he’s open to going elsewhere. The Irish aren’t the only ones that are trying to get him to do so. But this visit opened his eyes to what Notre Dame could do for him, I’m told.
2026 CB target RJ Sermons
Sermons is another California product who’s entertaining the idea of leaving the West Coast. Even though his father, Rodney Sermons, played running back at USC, he’s not necessarily a lock to become a Trojan. A source told me that Notre Dame “blew away expectations” for Sermons on his visit.
2026 OL target George Haseotes
I’m not sure Notre Dame’s going to be much a real player in Haseotes’ recruitment. I expect Notre Dame to find other offensive line recruits its likes better, such as recent visitors Gregory Patrick and Ben Nichols.
2025 CB target Trystan Haynes
Given that I put a FutureCast in for Haynes to eventually pick Notre Dame prior to his visit, there were expectations for his visit to go well. While Haynes isn’t wrapping up his recruitment at this stage, I was told by a source that visit was “excellent.” Notre Dame is a place that really appeals to Haynes, which is why his family drove 12 hours on Friday and 12 hours on Sunday to be there Saturday. Oklahoma likely remains the biggest threat for Notre Dame as the home-state school, but he’s had plenty of opportunities to commit to the Sooners at this point. As we previously reported in The Heat Index, Haynes plans to return for an official visit June 14-16.
2025 LB target Madden Faraimo
I can’t stress enough how high Notre Dame’s coaching staff is on Faraimo. I think he’d be the ideal finish to the position for the Irish, even though there are some other highly ranked options in that conversation too. Notre Dame believes it killed the visit and allowed Faraimo to fall in love with Notre Dame again. Faraimo made the visit alongside his mom, which is an important voice in his recruitment. USC is likely the top competition for the California product. If Faraimo can get over the distance hurdle, he may very well end up at Notre Dame.
2025 S commit Ivan Taylor
I wanted to do some digging on Taylor’s visit, because it was his first time back on campus since safeties coach Chris O’Leary left for the LA Chargers. One source told me the visit went “awesome.” Taylor wanted to sit down and talk football the whole time. Apparently he’s doing really well in the classroom back at Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange. A source told me that ND would love to have a recruit like Taylor at every position.
2026 LB target Simeon Caldwell
I didn’t know Caldwell had made his way to campus until later in the weekend. The Irish offered him on Pot of Gold Day, so he took the visit. He could be a safety or a linebacker at the next level. A source called him a “perfect Notre Dame kid.” He’s the son of Las Vegas Raiders defensive run game coordinator/linebackers coach Mike Caldwell, who spent the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Look for the Irish to be a player in Simeon’s recruitment moving forward.
2026 DE target Rodney Dunham
Dunham is another recruit that was described as a Notre Dame type of kid. He’s a baseball player as well, so we’ll see how much that plays in his recruitment in the future. We’ll see who else emerges as top competition for him, but I’d expect Notre Dame to be in the mix for this Charlotte area recruit.
2026 DE target Jerimy "JJ" Finch Jr.
You don’t really need anyone to tell you anything about Finch’s interest in Notre Dame. It’s obvious given that he visited Notre Dame twice last week — on Monday and Saturday — and he’s expected to return this weekend for the Blue-Gold Game. Notre Dame’s still getting to know Finch better as he’s a bit on the quieter side, but he’s someone I anticipate the Irish will push for early as long as everything checks out.
2026 CB target Brandon Lockhart
The USC commit made his first visit to Notre Dame, and it seems clear that he’s open to going elsewhere. The Irish aren’t the only ones that are trying to get him to do so. But this visit opened his eyes to what Notre Dame could do for him, I’m told.
2026 CB target RJ Sermons
Sermons is another California product who’s entertaining the idea of leaving the West Coast. Even though his father, Rodney Sermons, played running back at USC, he’s not necessarily a lock to become a Trojan. A source told me that Notre Dame “blew away expectations” for Sermons on his visit.
2026 OL target George Haseotes
I’m not sure Notre Dame’s going to be much a real player in Haseotes’ recruitment. I expect Notre Dame to find other offensive line recruits its likes better, such as recent visitors Gregory Patrick and Ben Nichols.
