Notre Dame Exceeds Expectations for 2026 St. John Bosco WR Madden Williams

Notre Dame offered 2026 St. John Bosco (Calif.) receiver Madden Williams‍ on May 11th and it took less than a month for him to make his first visit to South Bend. 

The 6-foot-2, 186-pounder made his way to campus on Tuesday and it’s safe to say Williams loved everything he experienced during the day. 

“I love it here,” Williams told ISD. “I love the campus. I love the coaches. I love the family aspect. I love everything about it.

“It reminded me so much of Bosco with low enrollment because there are only 8,500 students. The campus is very close and compact. It feels like a great place.”

Williams had heard a bit about Notre Dame heading into the visit, but didn’t quite know what to expect. 

“It went above and beyond my expectations,” Williams said. “Coming in, I didn't really know what to think about the school. I’ve always thought they’ve been a prestigious football school, but hearing everything about the academics and how they have a great global degree and how they would set me up for 40 years was great to hear.” 

Notre Dame receivers coach Chansi Stuckey and Williams were able to catch up and even hit the film room during the visit. 

“I was able to be in the film room breaking down film with him,” stated Williams. “In those 20 minutes, I learned so much from him and I’ll be able to take that with me for the rest of my career.” 

Williams was also able to gain a better feel for Stuckey as a man and his personality. 

“He’s going to keep it real with you,” said Williams. “If you’re messing up, he’s going to tell you how you’re messing up. He’s also going to show you how you’re supposed to do it. It all comes from love and it’s not from hate. Coach Stuckey wants to see the best from you.” 

Head coach Marcus Freeman also took time to meet with Williams. The California native quickly found out Freeman wasn’t going to discuss football as much as what Notre Dame could do for him. 

“His message was about when I’m looking at all these schools, I need to make sure that I’m asking them for my career plan and not just how they are going to help me in football,” Williams explained. “How are they going to set me up for life and how I would be a man in the world or get a job and start a family? Football isn’t going to last forever, but life will.

“I felt with Coach Freeman, Coach (Dre) Brown and Coach Stuckey we all had a great connection and understanding.” 

Notre Dame isn’t the only Midwest school Williams will see on his trip as he’s also set to visit Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. The opportunity to see multiple schools allows Williams to see what he likes and doesn’t like in a school, but also to get time with coaches as NCAA rules limit contact with underclassmen not on a college campus. 

“They’ve been on my radar for a while now,” said Williams. “Growing up, I’ve been a fan of all these schools. As I’ve moved forward in my recruiting process, I’m starting to get interest from all these schools and I felt like it was the proper time to come out and show my face to all of them.” 

Offers: Arizona State, Cal, Campbell, Charlotte, Colorado State, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oregon, San Diego State, Stanford, Texas, UNLV, and Washington

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