BREAKING | 2022 Four-Star CB Jaden Mickey Commits to Notre Dame
The secondary has been a big emphasis in the 2022 recruiting class and Notre Dame got its first cornerback commit on Sunday as Centennial (Calif.) star Jaden Mickey has committed to the Irish.
"Notre Dame is Notre Dame," Mickey told ISD. "With the academics and fighting for a National Championship every year and the new coaches they brought in, I know the defense is going to straight. It really made me feel comfortable."
The 6-foot, 175-pounder carries a 3.7 GPA, so it's not a complete surprise Notre Dame's academics and exposure were huge selling points.
"Football or no football, if I get a degree from Notre Dame, I'll be alright," stated Mickey. "The national stage they put you on while playing football is great - getting on TV, getting recognized and a shot at the NFL."
New Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman has made big waves since arriving in South Bend and it was no different with Mickey.
The four-star prospect naturally gravitated to Freeman and cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens.
"It was big," Mickey said of his relationship with Freeman. "He made me feel comfortable knowing the defense would be run by him. When we were on Zoom, he presented great information and you could tell he really knows his stuff. Watching what he did at Cincinnati last year, I know it's going to be great.
"Coach Mickens is really cool. We jumped on a couple Zoom calls and one with Coach (Brian) Polian."
Mickey chose the Irish over Cal, Northwestern and Oregon, which might have been a surprise to some as leaving home wasn't always something he wanted to do.
"It's something I had to come around on," explained Mickey. "I've talked to a lot of mentors and a lot of them say greatness doesn't come with comfortability. That really pushed me."
The California native hasn't visited Notre Dame to this point, but the power of technology allowed him to gain comfort in choosing his new home.
Virtual visits over Zoom have been the new norm and Notre Dame hit home with Mickey with its presentations.
"A lot of Notre Dame's presentation was straight facts," Mickey stated. "They didn't have fluff or trying to tell me anything. They presented the facts about the school and football program."
Mickey will now join fellow defensive commit Tyson Ford, Aiden Gobaira and Nolan Ziegler in the class, and you can expect him to get to work right away.
"I'll definitely be reaching out to some guys," laughed Mickey.