2025 DE Joseph Reiff Sees Potential Fit At Notre Dame

A month after camping in South Bend and receiving an offer from the Irish, Joseph Reiff‍ was back at Notre Dame for last weekend’s Grill & Chill event.

“It was great,” the 2025 Illinois defensive end said. “It was a really good day.

“Last month, I really just got the brief tour and the camp. That was about it. This time, we got to see a practice, we got to see the coaches live working with the players and I got to meet a couple of commits and guys with Notre Dame offers. So, it was great. They brought in a lot of great kids.”

Reiff felt they were the kind of people he’d fit in with well.

“They were really great,” the York High School standout said. “I was hanging out with a couple of commits, great guys, really love their energy and fun to hang around with.”

Reiff appreciated the opportunity to check out the Irish’s practice on Saturday evening.

“Those guys were fiery,” he said. “They were really going at it. It was high, high energy under the lights in the stadium.

“I thought it was just really cool to see them actually interact with the players and to watch how they coached (Saturday) night. (Sunday), we were really just hanging out. There were no drills, just a fun, relaxed day.”

The relaxed setting gave Reiff a chance to see Marcus Freeman and Al Washington as people in addition to coaches.

“I really like Coach Washington and Coach Freeman,” he said. “I like their style of coaching. They've really been great so far.

“Coach Freeman comes from a military background. He mentioned that his dad was in the military, so he's a little bit more strict, but he definitely knows what he's doing. (Saturday), the guy's got a little chippy. He said the energy's great, but he controls it well. The players seem to love him.”

The coaches’ message on why they believe Reiff would fit at Notre Dame is a simple one. 

“I guess it's my work ethic, my character and my athleticism,” he said.

Reiff, who also has offers from Iowa and Purdue, expects to visit those schools along with Notre Dame this fall for games.

“We're planning on getting to the Ohio State game,” he said.

Notre Dame truly impressed him this weekend.

“I love it. I think it's great. The people they attract and the coaching staff along with the players, they're all fantastic. It's what I'm looking for.”

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