2025 WR Derek Meadows Thrilled to Earn Notre Dame Offer

By Matt Freeman

June 5, 2023

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It didn’t take long for all eyes to gravitate to 2025 Bishop Gorman (Nev.) receiver Derek Meadows‍ during Sunday’s Irish Invasion camp at Notre Dame.

The 6-foot-5, 195-pounder started camp off by running a 4.5 40 and then followed it up by showcasing his unique athletic traits the rest of the day, which led to Meadows having a meeting with head coach Marcus Freeman.

“Coach (Chansi) Stuckey grabbed me and pulled me into Coach Freeman’s office,” Meadows told ISD. “He told the news, but it wasn’t just about that. Coach Freeman explained how Notre Dame was a great place because it wasn’t just about football, but academics too.

“Learning that was important because football isn't going to take you all the way. There is only one percent who make it, so school is No. 1. I was very excited when he told me and I was jumping for joy. I couldn’t believe it.”

The opportunity to receive coaching from Stuckey left a lasting impression. Meadows was able to improve his game, but also get a feel for Stuckey’s coaching style.

“It was awesome,” stated Meadows. “It reminded me of my coach, Marcus Nash, our receiver coach at Gorman. I love them both. One lesson I learned was about getting in and out of my breaks. I need to pump my arms instead of leaving them down because you can get out of your break faster and create more separation.”

Meadows is a state champ in the 300m hurdles, so the 4.5 40 wasn’t necessarily surprising, but it was still telling he only ran one 40 on the day.

“Honestly, I was expecting to run faster, but I was happy because when we had our combine at Gorman, I ran a 4.52, so I improved,” Meadows said. “The coaches were impressed. Coach told me not to run it again, so I did my job.”

The Bishop Gorman standout also spent plenty of time with 2024 Notre Dame receiver commits Micah Gilbert and Cam Williams. In fact, Williams and Meadows quickly found out they had a lot in common.

“They were awesome,” explained Meadows. “Cam told me a little about Illinois because I used to live in Illinois. He lived like two mins from Naperville and I used to play for the Naperville Patriots in youth football. It was really cool to make that connection with them. It made it easier. They’re really cool dudes and I can see myself playing with them one day.”

As for what’s next in his recruitment, Meadows knows Sunday will likely change his recruiting process. It’s still a bit early to talk about a commitment day, but it seems like Notre Dame will be a top program for Meadows moving forward.

“I was thinking maybe the end of my senior year, but who knows when I’ll commit,” said Meadows. “I really enjoyed my time at Notre Dame.

“Notre Dame is awesome. More schools will be coming in, but Notre Dame seems like the place. I loved it. I can’t wait to come back.”

Offers: BYU, Colorado State, Hawaii, Nevada, Notre Dame, UNLV, Utah and Washington