BREAKING | 2025 CB Cree Thomas Commits To Notre Dame

Cree Thomas‍ doesn’t know exactly what his grandfather would say about the 2025 Arizona cornerback’s commitment to Notre Dame.

“I just know he'd be super happy,” Thomas said of his late grandfather. 

“I'm not sure exactly what he would say, but definitely something good. He always wanted to see me go play college football and achieve my dream.”

Thomas just announced his commitment to the Irish over schools like Arizona, Wisconsin and several other offers.

He chose Monday - the third anniversary of his passing - to honor his grandfather.

“It's an important date to me,” Thomas said. “It means a lot…It's definitely cool to be able to do it on that day.

“He was a huge role model for me. He was always there for me. He was one of my best friends, so it’s really special to just be able to do on that day because of that. He played a big role in my life, so it was really sad when he passed away…I know he's watching down on me right now, and it's just awesome that I could do it on that day. He's a big reason of my why when I play football.”

Notre Dame seemed like a serious potential landing spot from the time the Irish offered back in March of this year. Multiple visits, including two this fall, only helped Notre Dame’s pursuit.

“Really, just the love the coaches showed me,” Thomas said of what mattered most to him. “They showed me so much love throughout this recruitment process, so that's a huge deal for me. I could tell that they don't just want me as a player. I really connect with them on a personal level as well. 

“Also, the atmosphere. It was my dream to play football on the biggest stage my entire life. So Notre Dame will give me the opportunity to play on the biggest stage.”

Irish cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens played a crucial role.

“He's a super cool dude, super genuine guy,” Thomas said of Mickens. “He's made a big impact on my recruitment. Nothing but good things to say about Coach Mickens. He's been super cool to me and he's tried to connect with me on levels deeper than football, which really meant a lot to me. Coach Mickens, great guy.”

Thomas is glad the process is over for him, although he said he enjoyed it.

“I never really saw it as super stressful or crazy or annoying or anything like that,” he said. “I really just saw it all as blessings. I'm just super blessed and thankful that God put me in this position and gave me the opportunity to go play college football at the next level. It's really more of just thankfulness.”

He said Irish fans should expect him to be a competitor.

“I'm always going to go out on the field, I'm going to give it my all and I'm going to compete no matter what. I'm a player who loves to win, and I'm going to do everything I need to in order to win.”

Film Don’t Lie | Cree Thomas