Notre Dame Opens Top 2026 CB Chaston Smith's Eyes
Chaston Smith said he wanted to see Notre Dame before making a final decision and after this weekend’s trip to South Bend, the 2026 Tennessee cornerback is glad he did.
“Everything went good,” the McCallie School star told Irish Sports Daily afterward. “I got to see how the coaches talked to DBs and how they interacted with the players.”
Smith spent a lot of time speaking with Irish defensive backs coach Mike Mickens.
“He's a great guy,” he said of Mickens. “He’s cool. I can tell he really wants me and I can tell he means everything he says.
“I was watching the DBs during indies. I liked how he just talked to them. He was working on their fleet, working breaks and stuff in the beginning.”
Mickens made it clear the 6-foot-2, 175-pounder is badly wanted by the Irish.
“He was just comparing me to certain corners he had in the past and the way he just walked up to him and showed me love,” said Smith.
Mickens compared Smith to current Irish cornerback and one of Smith’s personal favorites, Benjamin Morrison.
“It means a lot,” said Smith. “I watch his film.
“He's a great corner. He's getting ready to go to The League, so that's a great compliment. But I've always got to just keep my head down and keep working.”
Smith enjoyed watching the Irish dominate Florida State, 52-3.
“It was a great game,” he said. “It was a great game in the beginning. Great atmosphere. I liked the student section. The student section was very loud.”
He left feeling good about the overall atmosphere at Notre Dame.
“The culture,” he said of what stuck out. “It's a different culture from every other college. In a good way. Just the way they teach hard.
“It's just a different type of culture. It's a great school. While you're in it, you might as well do it while it's hard so you can come out great.”
Smith plans to continue staying in touch with the Irish and is hoping to visit again to see more of campus.
He came into the visit feeling like he was close to a final decision with Clemson at the top, but that isn’t quite as clear anymore.
“It's a really close race,” he said. “There's really no school in front. It's really close between Notre Dame and Clemson, Texas A&M and Indiana.”
He’s still planning to visit Texas A&M at the end of the month and could add visits to Louisville or Ole Miss as well.
The coaches and atmosphere in South Bend certainly made a strong impression on Smith.
“I really like it up there.”
Want the latest scoop on the Fighting Irish? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
Notre Dame Fighting Irish OHT Military Appreciation Defender Quarter-Zip
