Top 2026 CB RJ Sermons Understands What Notre Dame Can Offer

RJ Sermons‍ was back in South Bend this past weekend following a visit back in the spring and once again, the 2026 California cornerback left impressed.

“It went great,” Sermons told Irish Sports Daily afterward. “The game was great. It was good seeing them be able to dominate, have a clean game, and then (Sunday) was good too. I got to talk to the coaches, Coach (Mike) Mickens, Coach Al Golden, so I thought it was great.

“I talked to Coach Golden briefly, but I talked to Coach Mickens for a good minute. It was just a real genuine conversation about what Notre Dame has to offer football-wise and then after football, everything that they bring to the table when it comes to life.”

Mickens was able to show the Rancho Cucamonga star the opportunities he would have on the field.

“The development aspect is big,” Sermons said of his talk with Mickens. “He focused on that. 

“They have a lot of young players playing right now, thriving in that secondary. I'm a DB, so I focused on the secondary. They have a lot of young players thriving in the secondary from all around the United States, so that really stood out to me a lot.”

Sermons also liked what he saw from the Irish defense during its 52-3 shellacking of Florida State.

“They have a very pro-style defense,” he said. “They ran a lot of different coverages and Coach Al Golden explained to me what they were doing in the game and it was really pretty good.”

Off the field, Mickens hit on the value of a Notre Dame education.

“A Notre Dame degree is amazing, honestly,” Sermons said. “After football, after graduating, just the opportunities in life and the connections they have. Also during football, even at the next level, just the way Notre Dame is viewed and the way that the players hold themselves to the standard that they have.”

Sermons was able to get a feel for some of the current and future Irish players while in town and felt he would fit in with the group.

“I was around some of the recruits and also the players after the game in the locker room,” he said. “The players really just love the program. It shows how devoted they are and just how much they're bought into the program.

“Like I said, there are people from all around the United States coming to Notre Dame and they all have one common goal and it really shows.”

An elite level prospect, Sermons has offers from schools like Notre Dame, USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama and Georgia among several others.

He’s planning to be at USC for the Trojans’ home finale against Notre Dame in a couple weeks.

The Irish clearly see USC, where Sermons’ father played running back, as competition.

“They just say make the hard decision because USC is right down the street,” Sermons said. “I wouldn't say it's an easy decision, but it's comfortable. Their take is just to make the harder decision, which it would be because it's farther. 

“I like how they view it.”

While Sermons should see the Irish in action again soon, he’s also hoping to return to South Bend again.

“I talked to the coaching staff about making it back up with my whole family, so hopefully we can work that out and get back with my family,” he said. 

The Irish certainly helped themselves with this weekend’s visit.

“I really like it. I feel like they're trending upwards in my recruiting process. Every visit, I get to see more and more of what I like and more and more of what they have to offer in football and outside football.”