2025 S Ethan Long Talks Notre Dame Staff, Connection

GREENWICH, Conn. – Ethan Long‍ saw his recruitment explode this spring and the 2025 Connecticut safety is enjoying the process.

“Everything has been great,” Long told Irish Sports Daily. “It's just great to get around and go through the process with my teammates and my family and just really get the exposure.”

After picking up an offer from Pitt in January, the Brunswick star saw a huge boost to his profile between April and May, when he picked up offers from Duke, Boston College, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Notre Dame among others.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder has been busy visiting schools across the country.

“It's been crazy,” he said. “A lot's been on my mind. Definitely had some good advice from my coach, Coach (Wayne) McGillicuddy. Just really going through the process has been great and going to that next level has been a blessing and I'm truly grateful for it.”

Long was in South Bend for a camp in June and back for the Grill & Chill a month later.

He said getting to work with Irish safeties coach Chris O’Leary and head coach Marcus Freeman on camp was “great.”

“Really just getting to know them better and getting to be a better player and getting the coaching from them was great,” he said. “It built the connection that just gave me a big jump.”

He enjoyed his return trip as well.

“The Grill & Chill was great,” he continued. “Getting around with the other recruits, getting to know them, they were all great. We all had a great time. And again, the coaches were even better and the recruiting guys.

“Chad (Bowden) and Dre (Brown) were great and they just made the experience unbelievable.”

Bowden, O’Leary and the rest have certainly made strong impressions on Long.

“It's their energy,” Long laughed. “I'm not going to lie. Their energy is unmatched and they really have passion on what they do and they really love what they do and that's what really separates them.”

Long has a connection to Notre Dame through his cousin, Austin Webster, a former walk-on for the Irish who served as team captain in 2017.

“Austin is one of my favorite cousins,” Long said. “He has always been a mentor to me and he's always been like a big brother, so he would always tell me Notre Dame is the best experience he's ever had.

“That's why he was there for so long. He had the best experience and that's why I always loved Notre Dame. I always loved going to visit with him and he's just a great person to have to guide me.”

Long visited Penn State this past weekend and will be back in South Bend for the Ohio State game in a couple weeks.

“It's going to be great,” he said. “Me and my teammate, Matty Augustine are going to go up to the game, see them ball out and get the win.

“It's just going to be great to see what gameday is like at Notre Dame and how the coaches run things and how the players do their thing.”

Augustine hasn’t been shy about saying how much he’d love to play with Long at the next level and neither has Long.

“It'd be great, to be honest,” Long said. “We usually talk about it here and there. Matty's just a great teammate to have who really wants it just as bad as me and he really has the same goal and has the discipline and desire to make it. It would just be great to have a friend like Matty go with me.”

Long doesn’t have a timeline for when he may make a final decision.

“Not yet,” he said. “There's still a lot on my mind and a lot to process. I'm just going to trust God, trust my heart. And when I know, I know.”

But he does know some of the factors that will help him determine that choice.

“The connection with the team, the player bond, the brotherhood, is the academic the right fit for me and can I see myself there for four to five years.”

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