2027 QB Zac Katz Excited to Compete at Irish Invasion
Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Fla.) has become a regular stop for college coaches on the recruiting trail and that’s no different for Notre Dame.
Irish quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli made the trip down to South Florida recently and was able to watch 2027 quarterback Zac Katz.
This weekend, Katz will return the favor by getting to South Bend for Irish Invasion.
“I really like what he’s shown me and him as a person,” Katz told ISD. “He watched our practice and I want to come up to campus to show him what I can do.”
The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder is well-aware South Bend isn’t a quick trip, which made him even more grateful to have Guidulgi stop by for practice.
“That’s big-time,” stated Katz. “Making a trip from up there to come down to Florida to see me throw means a lot, especially since I’m young. It means he’s interested in seeing my growth as a football player and a person. I love to see that from him.”
As mentioned, Notre Dame isn’t the only school stopping by the Florida powerhouse and it’s led to Katz being able to get a step up on his recruitment.
“Honestly, it’s been great,” Katz explained. “I’m still young, so there is much more to come. Building relationships with these coaches at such a young age is a blessing. I’m really grateful for it and I’m ready to keep working.”
Katz has a monster freshman season at True North Classical Academy (Fla.) where he threw for 2,973 yards, 38 touchdowns and one interception. It led to offers from several offers, including Louisville, Miami and Ole Miss.
The early attention didn’t necessarily catch him by surprise, but it’s just the beginning for Katz.
“I’m not really surprised,” Katz said. “It’s not cocky, but it’s self-confidence. I believe in what I can do and I’m going to show all these coaches what I can do.”
In addition to time with Guidulgi, Irish Invasion will provide Katz the chance to compete with other top quarterbacks, including 2025 Notre Dame commit Deuce Knight. It’s an opportunity for Katz to see where he stacks up against older players, but also learn from his peers.
“I’ve been playing with elite quarterbacks my whole life,” Katz stated. “Every time I play with them, I try to take the little details from them. I know their position in life as a quarterback and person. I take those details and add it on to myself. I’m going to do that when I’m up there.
“I learned a little from Deuce from OT7. I saw a lot of his throws. He’s really good. I’m excited to learn from him.”
Katz plans to camp at a few other schools this summer, but that’s really not on his mind as he is looking forward to the fall.
“I’ve been reached out to by quite a few colleges,” explained Katz. “I’m ready for the season. I’m so excited for the season. We have St. John Bosco (Calif.) week one on ESPN. I’m going to hit a couple camps and get my name out there a little, but I’m going to be lifting, training and working this whole summer.”
The excitement level to play St. John Bosco is real for any team and it’s easy to tell it’s a motivating factor for Katz as he enters the stretch run of the offseason.
“I’m not scared,” Katz said. “I’m so excited. I can’t wait to go out there and show what we can do. St. John Bosco is a top-tier program in the country. We’re going to keep building and it’s going to be a great game.”
Chaminade-Madonna Prep might have lost two top 100 receivers in Jojo Trader and five-star Jeremiah Smith from a year ago, but they have reloaded and still have one of the best receiving corps in nation, which makes Katz’s job simple.
“We’re still loaded,” said Katz. “It’s not fair. Our receiver corps is Jabari Brady, Kyle Washington, Koby Howard, Denarius Gray and Jasen Lopez. This is a super squad. It’s the Avengers out there. It makes my job easy.”
Offers: Appalachian State, Bethune-Cookman, FIU, Louisville, Miami, Ole Miss, SMU, South Florida and Western Michigan
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