Notre Dame had another busy week of recruiting visits last week, and I’ve been able to gather some additional intel beyond the interviews we did with multiple targets who were on campus. I’ll link to those stories in the next post of this thread for anyone who missed them.
I’m also working on an update of The Heat Index for later in the week as well.
Let’s focus on the targets in the 2025 class first.
Four-star safety JaDon Blair had a “hell of a visit,” according to a source. That’s not terribly surprising given how Blair talked about the Irish before and after his trip. The belief is Notre Dame is back in serious contention with Penn State and may have even pushed ahead. As Blair noted in our interview, he’s considering moving his Notre Dame official visit to the weekend rather than midweek so he can be on campus with more ND recruits. The Irish still have some fighting left to do, but you couldn’t have asked for a much better result ahead of his official visit schedule.
Four-star wide receiver Tanook Hines had a really good first visit with Notre Dame. And as @Charleston Bowles reported, he’s planning to get back on June 14-16 for an official visit. The Irish like the speed Hines offers, and he’s on the short list of receivers Notre Dame would find room for if his commitment pushed the WR class to five. There doesn’t seem to be a serious dragon to slay for Notre Dame to beat in Hines’ recruitment, but maybe Texas can become that if it decides to push hard. Hines has official visits set to Arizona State, USC, Arkansas and Baylor.
Four-star wide receiver Talyn Taylor continues to be hard to get a good read on, which might just mean he’s not really that close to making a decision. While the recruiting momentum appears to be on Georgia’s side, there’s some growing concern that Ohio State may become a problem too as it sorts out its wide receiver priorities.
Four-star linebacker Noah Mikhail is someone Notre Dame remains in a good spot for, but I wouldn’t consider the Irish frontrunners by any stretch yet. He may end up having a classic California recruitment that drags out deep into the cycle. USC is probably the favorite here still.
Here’s some information I’ve gathered on several of the 2026 targets with whom the Irish will continue to be in the mix.
Four-star quarterback Brady Hart is someone Notre Dame wants badly. And there’s optimism that the Irish may be the leaders here following a great visit. Hart made visits down to Florida and Miami right after, so he should have a good idea of how those programs compare. Florida is his parents’ alma mater, so the Gators are going to make this a tough decision at the very least.
Notre Dame plans to make four-star offensive guard Tyler Merrill and three-star offensive tackle Ben Nichols priorities in the class. The Irish have made good impressions with multiple visits to campus from both. Penn State is the top competition for Merrill; Michigan for Nichols.
Though I’ve been very impressed with four-star wide receiver Devin Carter, there’s a sense that Notre Dame won’t be realistic contenders in the long run following his visit. We’ll see if that evolves for the elite student-athlete.
Three-star defensive end Braeden Jones might be the first 2026 class FutureCast I make in favor of Notre Dame. Or at least be among the first. The two sides seem like a natural match following his visit as Notre Dame continues to make noise with defensive line recruits in the Chicago area.
Three of the linebackers who visited should be monitored closely moving forward: Samu Moala, Kenneth Goodwin and Thomas Davis Jr.
Moala really impressed Notre Dame’s staff and probably belongs on the short list of FutureCasts candidates alongside Jones.
Goodwin’s visit was described as “fantastic.” He’s the kind of athlete the Irish have had success recruiting in recent cycles.
Davis Jr. might follow the path to Georgia that led his father to All-America status and a lengthy NFL career, but the Irish are giving him reason to seriously consider going elsewhere. Notre Dame’s doing what it can to show Davis Jr. why it’s the right for him.
I’m also working on an update of The Heat Index for later in the week as well.
Let’s focus on the targets in the 2025 class first.
Four-star safety JaDon Blair had a “hell of a visit,” according to a source. That’s not terribly surprising given how Blair talked about the Irish before and after his trip. The belief is Notre Dame is back in serious contention with Penn State and may have even pushed ahead. As Blair noted in our interview, he’s considering moving his Notre Dame official visit to the weekend rather than midweek so he can be on campus with more ND recruits. The Irish still have some fighting left to do, but you couldn’t have asked for a much better result ahead of his official visit schedule.
Four-star wide receiver Tanook Hines had a really good first visit with Notre Dame. And as @Charleston Bowles reported, he’s planning to get back on June 14-16 for an official visit. The Irish like the speed Hines offers, and he’s on the short list of receivers Notre Dame would find room for if his commitment pushed the WR class to five. There doesn’t seem to be a serious dragon to slay for Notre Dame to beat in Hines’ recruitment, but maybe Texas can become that if it decides to push hard. Hines has official visits set to Arizona State, USC, Arkansas and Baylor.
Four-star wide receiver Talyn Taylor continues to be hard to get a good read on, which might just mean he’s not really that close to making a decision. While the recruiting momentum appears to be on Georgia’s side, there’s some growing concern that Ohio State may become a problem too as it sorts out its wide receiver priorities.
Four-star linebacker Noah Mikhail is someone Notre Dame remains in a good spot for, but I wouldn’t consider the Irish frontrunners by any stretch yet. He may end up having a classic California recruitment that drags out deep into the cycle. USC is probably the favorite here still.
Here’s some information I’ve gathered on several of the 2026 targets with whom the Irish will continue to be in the mix.
Four-star quarterback Brady Hart is someone Notre Dame wants badly. And there’s optimism that the Irish may be the leaders here following a great visit. Hart made visits down to Florida and Miami right after, so he should have a good idea of how those programs compare. Florida is his parents’ alma mater, so the Gators are going to make this a tough decision at the very least.
Notre Dame plans to make four-star offensive guard Tyler Merrill and three-star offensive tackle Ben Nichols priorities in the class. The Irish have made good impressions with multiple visits to campus from both. Penn State is the top competition for Merrill; Michigan for Nichols.
Though I’ve been very impressed with four-star wide receiver Devin Carter, there’s a sense that Notre Dame won’t be realistic contenders in the long run following his visit. We’ll see if that evolves for the elite student-athlete.
Three-star defensive end Braeden Jones might be the first 2026 class FutureCast I make in favor of Notre Dame. Or at least be among the first. The two sides seem like a natural match following his visit as Notre Dame continues to make noise with defensive line recruits in the Chicago area.
Three of the linebackers who visited should be monitored closely moving forward: Samu Moala, Kenneth Goodwin and Thomas Davis Jr.
Moala really impressed Notre Dame’s staff and probably belongs on the short list of FutureCasts candidates alongside Jones.
Goodwin’s visit was described as “fantastic.” He’s the kind of athlete the Irish have had success recruiting in recent cycles.
Davis Jr. might follow the path to Georgia that led his father to All-America status and a lengthy NFL career, but the Irish are giving him reason to seriously consider going elsewhere. Notre Dame’s doing what it can to show Davis Jr. why it’s the right for him.
