1 day ago by
Matt Freeman
2026 DL Elijah Golden Sets Notre Dame Visit
2026 Cardinal Mooney (Fla.) defensive lineman Elijah Golden will be back at Notre Dame for an unofficial visit on April 17th per a source. The four-star prospect has been a frequent visitor over the last year and Al Washington returned the favor in January by stopping by his high school to chat. If Notre Dame led, I'm not sure it would be a shock, but it's clear Golden is giving other programs every chance to change his mind as he'll also be at Alabama, Clemson and Virginia Tech in the coming weeks. Florida is a program that has made quiet moves dating back to the fall, so I'd keep tabs on Billy Napier in this recruitment as well. Notre Dame and Washington are pushing hard. There are some positive Notre Dame influences in his life, so it'll be interesting to see how that plays into Golden's decision when he goes into decision mode. https://www.hudl.com/video/3/23678259/67194ae8504af328c4de9d6cUnder Armour Green Notre Dame Fighting Irish Performance Playoff Polo
6 days ago by
Matt Freeman
Some testing notes from the UA Camp in Orlando
Here's some verified testing from Notre Dame's targets, potential targets and some former targets.2026 QB Noah Grubbs (Commit) HT: 6-4.4 WT: 197Wingspan: 77.5 Shuttle: 4.46Vertical: 26.5Broad: 9-1.7Hand: 92026 DL Elijah Golden (Offer) HT: 6-4.1WT: 251Wingspan: 79.410-yard: 1.7540: 4.98Shuttle: 4.71Vertical: 21.5Broad: 8-1.72026 DE Jarius Rodgers - Syracuse commit (ND offer) HT: 6-4.4WT: 218Wingspan: 81.410-yard: 1.940: 4.91Shuttle: 4.72Vertical: 27.6Broad: 9-3.62026 OL Chancellor Barclay - Visited Notre Dame (no offer) HT: 6-3.7WT: 287Wingspan: 80.910-yard: 1.9140: 5.35Shuttle: 4.79Vertical: 22.9Broad: 8-3.42028 DE Asher Ghioto - 30 offers (no offer) HT: 6-4.5WT: 237Wingspan: 77.8 10-yard: 1.7540: 4.68Shuttle: 4.53 Vertical: 27.1Broad: 9-2.8https://www.hudl.com/video/3/22338333/66f077186172dc78fbe2b388Under Armour Kelly Green Notre Dame Fighting Irish Playoff Chest Stripe Performance Polo
8 days ago by
Matt Freeman
Note on 2026 DL Simote Katoanga
2026 J Serra Catholic (Calif.) defensive lineman Simote Katoanga has committed to USC. This is a big one off the board for the Irish. Katoanga, in my opinion, is the best player in California in 2026 and Notre Dame had a great shot at landing him with his former high school teammate Madden Faraimo already on campus in South Bend. In fact, I believe the four-star was a silent commit to Notre Dame and he was setting up visits this spring and then was planning to return in June for an official visit. He's the name USC needed to land in the 2026 class to send a message not only to Notre Dame, but now the message has been received to the B10 when you combine the flip from former Oregon QB commit Jonas Williams earlier this week.It's a bit of a surprise that Katoanga ended it now, but we'll see what happens down the road. That said, USC is doing exactly what I expected them to do with the new faces in the recruiting office. They are prioritizing LA and the state of California to keep the in-state kids home. I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but USC has a serious issue of keeping California kids in-state the last two classes. In 2025, USC signed 4 of the top 56 prospects (3, 14, 19, 56) and in 2024 they signed 5 in the top 31 (11, 16, 26, 27, 31). That's bad. It's a hit to Notre Dame, but the good news is they are also in a strong position with McHale Blade and Elijah Golden, who are like Katoanga and can play 5-tech and 3-tech. Notre Dame is also very much in it for Tiki Hola and Damari Simeon as kids who can play 3-tech. I'd be willing to bet Notre Dame won't be done in this recruitment despite today's events. Under Armour Navy Notre Dame Fighting Irish Performance Playoff Polo
2026 DL Elijah Golden Planning Notre Dame Official
2026 Florida defensive lineman Elijah Golden hasn't completely locked in all of his official visits yet, but says one will be to South Bend.
Making Moves | Notre Dame Football on the Recruiting Trail 1.29
Notre Dame's coaching staff will continue working its way east on Wednesday.