2025 Notre Dame DB Commit Ivan Taylor Goes In-Depth on Official Visit

2025 Notre Dame defensive back commit Ivan Taylor‍ has been a regular in South Bend since giving his commitment last December, but his return this weekend was a significant one for both sides. 

Taylor is fresh off an official visit to Alabama and will head to Michigan next weekend, but all that was on the back burner as the four-star prospect enjoyed himself on his official visit to Notre Dame, which included spending plenty of time with 2025 Irish quarterback commit Deuce Knight‍ 

“It was good and it was good seeing the guys again,” Taylor told ISD. “Deuce is hilarious, so it was good to be around him.” 

Knight had a little bit of fun on Saturday as he tweeted out a video of Taylor saying he wasn’t going to flip, which drew some laughs from the West Orange (Fla.) star. 

“That’s Deuce,” laughed Taylor. “We get along so well. He was like, ‘I'm going to post this.’ I was like, “Alright, Deuce. You do what you want with it.’ 

“Deuce loves social media and being the quarterback. We were walking around in South Bend and we had like seven people yelling, ‘Deuce Knight!’ Deuce is already a celebrity.” 

Taylor also loved his time around the other Notre Dame commits as they continued building their relationships. 

“It was great,” stated Taylor. “We all enjoyed ourselves and had a good time with each other. I had a lot of laughs.” 

One highlight for Taylor was observing Notre Dame’s football team cookout. Taylor didn’t hop on the cooking station, but there was plenty of entertainment. 

“I didn’t cook, but I looked around and watched the guys cook,” said Taylor. “That was enjoyable to see some people fail and also see them do well. Those offensive linemen know how to cook.” 

On Friday, the official visitors made their way to the home of head coach Marcus Freeman. Notre Dame’s commits and recruits have given the Freeman compound rave reviews and Taylor was no different. 

“We were saying you can’t hide money and that’s one of the places where you literally can’t hide money,” Taylor laughed. “He has everything you need. It’s all there. You don’t even need to go anywhere.” 

When it comes to the serious side of the visit, Taylor was able to have meetings with the Notre Dame staff, including defensive backs coach Mike Mickens. 

The 6-foot, 174-pounder has a good relationship with Mickens and this visit focused on where Taylor fits into the Irish defense. 

“We spoke about where I’d be in the scheme,” Taylor said. “We also went over some installs.” 

Notre Dame General Manager Chad Bowden and Taylor also had a heart-to-heart conversation where both sides were able to be real with each other about the status of Taylor’s commitment. 

“Chad and I were talking about how everything is going,” explained Taylor. “He was asking about what was going on and I was being straight up with him. It was good.” 

And while some recruits might consider it a tough conversation, Taylor doesn’t feel that. It’s also why he appreciates the Notre Dame staff as he knows he can have those conversations with them. 

“I wouldn’t say they are tough conversations,” stated Taylor. “They’re very real with us, so you have to be very real with them. I think coaches appreciate us being honest.” 

At this point, Taylor is focused on making the right decision and he doesn’t have a date circled to make a final call on where he’ll play in college. 

“I’m not going to rush it at all,” said Taylor. “Whenever God puts something in my heart, that’s when I’ll know.” 

Looking to join a Fighting Irish community and get the latest scoop? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD

Under Armour White Notre Dame Fighting Irish HOVR Phantom 3 Running Shoes