Notre Dame's Freeman & Mickens Hitting Mark with Jaeden Gould

2022 Bergen Catholic (N.J.) cornerback Jaeden Gould‍ is a busy man this offseason. 

The four-star prospect is training for his senior year, but he's also in the process of figuring out where he wants to go to college. 

"I'm starting to narrow things down recruiting wise, so it's been good," Gould told ISD. "I'm continuing to develop athletically and getting faster. I'm studying the game more to help slow it down even more." 

Boston College, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Texas and USC made Gould's Top 12 in January.

The Bergen Catholic star was then offered by Clemson, Houston, Oklahoma and South Carolina since listing his top schools, but only one truly captured his attention. 

"I would say Clemson was the main one that had an impact on the list," stated Gould. "They really play you early. They had an average of 72 or 74 players playing in each game this year. They haven't redshirted a cornerback in like five years, so that's something I'm looking at. I really want to play early when I get to college, so you get the most experience by the time you're a junior. That's attractive, but they also play at a high level. 

"They're in the playoffs almost every year, so it doesn't get any better than that." 

Notre Dame is very much in the mix as the Irish offered early and a program Gould has already visited, but things have changed significantly in the last month.

New defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman has made Gould a priority and it's been well received. 

"I think I was the first offer during my freshman year," Gould stated. "They kind of stopped communicating, but as soon as Coach Freeman came in, they really got on me. Coach Mickens and Coach Freeman are calling me, texting and FaceTiming every day.

"I'm really building a relationship with them. We FaceTime and Zoom every Monday, so I'm starting to build that trust and relationship with them."

The message from Freeman and Mickens is clear as Notre Dame needs to add talent and depth to the secondary.

"They're stressing to me that I'm important in their class and how they want to play defense," explained Gould. "They want to play man defense and challenge the receivers. I feel it would be a good fit for me as well as the academic side of it." 

Freeman's resume speaks for itself and Gould has been impressed with his passion.

"He's an energetic guy and a younger guy, which he can relate to the players well because he hasn't been out of the game for long," said Gould. "He's a great defensive coordinator, as we've seen with his success. He's just a cool down to earth guy who knows what he's talking about." 

Gould does have a step up on some of his peers as his recruitment started when he was a freshman. He's taken visits and has an idea of what he's looking for, but Gould knows another round of visits is crucial in his decision-making process. 

"Hopefully, in the middle of April, we should start to be able to take visits if everything goes as planned," stated Gould. "I'm hoping that happens." 

The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder says he'll have a top five or six by the end of the month and he'll start to really dive deeper into his final schools. 

Academics and comfort will play significant factors and Notre Dame can provide both. 

"The academic part is important to me," said Gould. "Football isn't going to last forever, so you want a degree that will help you be successful for the next 40 years of your life. That's why Notre Dame is a top school for me. 

"I would also say the campus and everything. I want to visit the campus and envision myself in that program." 

Junior Highlights