2025 Safety CJ Jimcoily Still Willing To Listen To Notre Dame

CJ Jimcoily‍ has dozens of high major offers and with the 2025 Tennessee safety hoping to have a final decision made by August, he knows it’s time to start getting serious about his options.

And with an offer sheet that includes schools like Tennessee, LSU, Stanford, Duke, Florida, Miami, Michigan, Penn State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Texas A&M among many others, he also knows he won’t be able to devote attention to all of the offers he has…let alone offers he doesn’t yet have.

But at least one school that hasn’t offered is hoping to get some of that attention.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens dropped by Lipscomb Academy in Nashville last month - along with former safeties coach Chris O’Leary - to check in on the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Jimcoily.

“It was a great conversation,” Jimcoily says. “First of all, I knew of Coach Freeman, but I didn't realize he was that young. Seeing him in person was just like, 'Wow!' To understand that he's that young doing the things that he's doing, I recognize that the type of level that he's at, only respect for him. 

“The main things they were talking about really were that they liked my film, they liked me as a person, my character, and they've heard a lot of great things about me. They wanted to get down here and come see it for themselves.”

With a pair of safeties already in the fold in Ivan Taylor and Ethan Long and the Irish appearing to be in solid position with JaDon Blair, numbers have gotten tight at the position in a hurry.

“Notre Dame doesn't offer just as an aesthetic or something to look cool,” he says. “They actually offer for you to come play and they really pursue you. So I understand it a bit. It was nice to talk to them, nice to hear it for myself and just get the information.

“I definitely recognize how recruiting works and especially how Notre Dame operates. At the same time, all love I have for Notre Dame, but in this process, I'm not really waiting for anything. So if Notre Dame doesn't fire the gun, then I'll have to move on.”

But Jimcoily isn’t completely ready to write off the Irish just yet.

“With that being said, I do recognize what Notre Dame is, and a big thing for me is academics and connections and whatnot and I know Notre Dame could provide that,” he says. “So, I may be willing to make an exception with them, but I mean, that's really just to be seen as we continue to move on.”

Jimcoily wants to hear more from the Irish and learn more about the program and realizes getting to South Bend could be a good way to do both.

“With this time coming up senior season, I don't have time to just go to every place,” he acknowledges. “I have to navigate my way through it. But Notre Dame would definitely be up there on that list just because I know what they can provide for me and I know that they are a good place with a good coaching staff, good foundation, and that's something I'm looking for. 

“Again, it's kind of odd to say, but they would probably be the one exception that I make.

Jimcoily is set to be at Tennessee and LSU next month and is looking at a potential official visit to Stanford in June.

“There are a lot of other places that want me to come down as well,” he says. “It's really just a matter of navigating it.”

“I'm hoping to commit, which is not in stone, but I'm hoping to commit before our first day at school, so around August 10th. I'm hoping to be committed by then. It may be earlier, but that'll probably be the latest.”