Notre Dame 2025 Offensive Class Capsules
QB BLAKE HEBERT
VITALS
6’3, 215
Brunswick School (Greenwich, Conn.)
OFFERS
Notre Dame, Auburn, Boston College, Clemson, UConn, Illinois, Iowa, UMass, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, Virginia and Virginia Tech
RANKING
ISD: 89 (three-star)
247: 89 (three-star)
Rivals: 5.8 (four-star)
ESPN: 81 (four-star)
Composite: 89.51 (four-star)
RECRUITMENT RUNDOWN
When Hebert visited South Bend, left with an offer and set his announcement just days later, it seemed like a good sign he would end up at Notre Dame. Well, he did, but he took quite the round-about way to arrive there. Hebert committed to Clemson back in June of 2023 and the Irish would go on to land Deuce Knight a few months later. For a while, both sides seemed set on where they were, but as Knight went through the summer and into the fall openly engaging other programs, namely Ole Miss and Auburn, Notre Dame knew it needed to cover its bases. As it became more and more obvious Knight was going to end up elsewhere, the Irish quietly checked Hebert’s temperature. Having transferred to Brunswick School, home of Irish commits Matty Augustine and Ethan Long, for his senior season, Notre Dame had some additional in-roads. By the time Knight made his flip to Auburn official, the Irish quietly turned the heat up on Hebert. Within two weeks, seemingly out of nowhere, Hebert announced his decommitment from Clemson and his commitment to the Irish.
ISD EXPERT JAMIE UYEYAMA
The skill talent that he is throwing to as a senior isn't very good. He hit receivers for numerous big plays only to have them drop the football. That’s not something that is going to help his numbers or how he’s viewed as a prospect, but it’s also not his fault.
His size, his ability to run, and his arm talent are what make him an intriguing quarterback prospect going forward, but I think he has a long road of development ahead of him before he can compete to be a starter at Notre Dame. Strictly from a size and traits perspective, I think he’s very similar to Utah QB Cam Rising.
FAVORITE ISD QUOTE
“I don't really play it up too big. I'm going to play football, going to a great school, and just really excited to get to work, get in the classroom and just experience a new thing in life, a new chapter. I’m definitely looking forward to that.”
RB NOLAN JAMES
VITALS
5’11, 200
DePaul Catholic (Wayne, N.J.)
OFFERS
Notre Dame, Akron, Boston College, Buffalo, Charlotte, UConn, Duke, Kent State, Liberty, UMass, Minnesota, Princeton, Syracuse and Virginia
RANKING
ISD: 90 (four-star)
247: 89 (four-star)
Rivals: 5.6 (three-star)
ESPN: 77 (three-star)
Composite: 87.39 (three-star)
RECRUITMENT RUNDOWN
After taking a pair of early running back commitments, the Irish decided they still needed to upgrade the position, so they went searching across the country for a good fit. They found one in James at a familiar place, DePaul Catholic, home of longtime Irish receiver commit Elijah Burress. James was committed to Boston College at the time, but when the Irish extended an offer in late-October, he quickly set up an official visit for the Irish’s game against Florida State and a couple days later, he made the flip from BC to Notre Dame. For James, it was about finding everything he found at Boston College - namely the blend of athletics and academics - but just on a bigger platform at Notre Dame.
ISD EXPERT JAMIE UYEYAMA
Notre Dame fans are used to backs who thrive on making defenders miss and gaining yards after contact. Those are two very strong areas of James’ game.
I think James can develop into a very effective zone runner and the more I have watched him, the more he reminds of former LSU RB Derrius Guice. The Irish played against him in the 2017 Citrus Bowl and he was someone who ran hard through contact and had the feet and vision to make defenders miss once he broke through the line.
I think Notre Dame’s staff did a great job of going after another underrated talent who could end up being a steal.
FAVORITE ISD QUOTE
“The most obvious thing is the fact that they present the best of both worlds. You can get one of the best educations in the world along with the opportunity to play for a national championship every year.”
WR JEROME BETTIS JR.
VITALS
6’2, 192
Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.)
OFFERS
Notre Dame, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Boston College, UCF, Coastal Carolina, UConn, Duke, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Marshall, UMass, Missouri, NC State, Ole Miss, Purdue, Texas A&M, Tulane and UAB
RANKING
ISD: 86 (three-star)
247: 87 (three-star)
Rivals: 5.6 (three-star)
ESPN: 77 (three-star)
Composite: 86.89 (three-star)
RECRUITMENT RUNDOWN
This one was pretty cut and dry. Notre Dame offered and the Irish were the team to beat. Bettis did take his time as he wanted to earn some offers, go on visits and enjoy the recruiting process, but throughout, the Notre Dame legacy knew South Bend was home.
ISD EXPERT JAMIE UYEYAMA
Bettis Jr. plays in an offense that asks him to run a limited route tree, so there's still more I would have liked to see from his senior season, but I saw enough to like the progress he's made as a prospect.
His size, ball skills, and compete level shined through and he showed a lot more after the catch as well. He may never be a dynamic option on the boundary, but he can develop into a contributor at receiver for the Irish with the potential to become a red zone threat.
FAVORITE ISD QUOTE
“(When Notre Dame offered), I didn't even know what to say. I couldn't speak. He was on the phone like, 'Are you there?' Because I couldn't say anything. I was stunned. It was amazing. It was surreal to receive that offer from that school...I don't even know. Words can't describe it.”
WR ELIJAH BURRESS
VITALS
6’1, 170
DePaul Catholic (Wayne, N.J.)
OFFERS
Notre Dame, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Duke, East Carolina, James Madison, Marshall, UMass, Temple and Toledo
RANKING
ISD: 90 (three-star)
247: 90 (four-star)
Rivals: 5.7 (three-star)
ESPN: 80 (four-star)
Composite: 88.33 (three-star)
RECRUITMENT RUNDOWN
Notre Dame got in relatively early with Burress, the son of former NFL and Michigan State star receiver Plaxico Burress. When the Irish offered back in January, Burress’ biggest offers were Duke, Cincinnati and his father’s alma mater. Notre Dame didn’t slow-play Burress with the firm belief that he would zoom up recruiting boards during his senior season. The Irish pressed to get him on campus for January’s Junior Day, where they established themselves as substantial leaders. A month later, he shut down his recruitment and committed to Notre Dame and was so locked in the rest of the way that his inevitable breakout senior season didn’t impact his recruitment much at all.
ISD EXPERT JAMIE UYEYAMA
Burress has elite traits that can help him win in man coverage. Much like his head coach told ISD’s Christian McCollum, I also believe he is only scratching the surface with his ability because I think he’s going to get faster and stronger. He already has shown that during his senior season.
He’s a much different player than his father was, but he clearly has a good understanding of the position. Burress’ game projects a lot closer to former Notre Dame receiver TJ Jones as someone with make-you-miss ability after the catch who can play outside or in the slot in college.
FAVORITE ISD QUOTE
“I just want to be somewhere where I'm going to win and just be developed as a player and I want to be around great people too.”
WR SCRAP RICHARDSON
VITALS
6’2, 170
Greenville (Greenville, Ga.)
OFFERS
Notre Dame, Alabama, UCF, Duke, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisville, Memphis, Mississippi State, Navy, North Carolina, South Florida and Vanderbilt
RANKING
ISD: 88 (three-star)
247: 91 (four-star)
Rivals: 5.7 (three-star)
ESPN: 80 (four-star)
Composite: 89.59 (four-star)
RECRUITMENT RUNDOWN
Richardson quickly became a coveted prospect at the end of the summer and start of fall. Notre Dame and Alabama would go toe-to-toe for the then-South Florida commit. He made multiple trips to Tuscaloosa and was impressed. But while some saw the Tide gaining momentum, sources close to Richardson always maintained he was more of a Notre Dame kid. Marcus Freeman’s personal interest in this recruitment with Richardson and those around him truly made a difference, but they still needed to get Richardson on campus. After an official visit in September, it was clear Richardson was heavily leaning toward the Irish and after one more trip to Alabama, he made it official, committing to the Irish on Oct. 1st.
ISD EXPERT JAMIE UYEYAMA
There were 78 receivers drafted in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft over the last five seasons. 29 of them (37.2%) had elite 100 or 200m track times. That kind of verified speed is important and Richardson checks that box emphatically.
While he’ll need time to develop as a receiver, Mike Brown knows a bit about developing raw athletes into NFL receivers. He was a quarterback who became an All-American receiver at Liberty and he developed freak athletes like Alec Pierce, Tre Tucker, and Tyler Scott into NFL Draft picks at Cincinnati.
Scott was a former high school running back who converted to receiver at Cincinnati. He became a big play threat who scored 14 touchdowns and averaged 16.9 yards per reception over his final two seasons. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 4th round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Scott ran a 10.68 100m and 21.66 200m as a state champion sprinter in high school as well. That 100 time matches up exactly with Richardson and it’s 0.23 slower in the 200. It’s not difficult to see how Notre Dame would project Richardson as a similar type of player to Scott at Notre Dame.
FAVORITE ISD QUOTE
“Everything in general just made me feel like it was home. That's what really made me commit there; seeing the bond of the players, the people, new people that I didn't even know greet me with kindness. It was just something special.”
TE JAMES FLANIGAN
VITALS
6’5, 220
Notre Dame La Baie Academy (Green Bay, Wis.)
OFFERS
Notre Dame, Illinois, Iowa State, Louisville, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Penn State, Stanford and Wisconsin
RANKING
ISD: 92 (four-star)
247: 94 (four-star)
Rivals: 5.8 (four-star)
ESPN: 83 (four-star)
Composite: 94.66 (four-star)
RECRUITMENT RUNDOWN
This one was cut and dry from the start as Notre Dame made Flanigan a priority from the start. There was a feeling out process as his father, Jim, was a star for the Irish, but Flanigan quickly saw the program wanted him for his talents and not his family history. Smart move as Flanigan has developed into one of the nation’s top tight ends.
ISD EXPERT JAMIE UYEYAMA
Flangian reminds me a lot of Tommy Tremble and I could see him becoming similarly successful in the run game. He has the same nasty mentality. He's simply a bigger version of Tremble and is more of a unique athlete.
His speed and toughness after the catch would stand out more if he wasn't such an impressive blocker. I think he can become a dangerous receiver once he develops more in that area of his game and if Notre Dame wanted him to flip and play defensive end, I believe it would be a legitimate option. The Irish always sign elite tight end prospects and Flanigan is one of the best they've signed in recent years.
FAVORITE ISD QUOTE
"(The message) is the same as everybody on the staff. ’If you come here, you're getting a good experience going to Notre Dame.’ They say it's like no other school and you're getting recruited because you have what it takes to be a Notre Dame man."
OL MATTY AUGUSTINE
VITALS
6’7, 290
Brunswick School (Greenwich, Conn.)
OFFERS
Notre Dame, Alabama, Boston College, UConn, Duke, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Liberty, Maryland, UMass, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio State, Penn, Penn State, Pitt, South Carolina, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wisconsin
RANKING
ISD: 91 (four-star)
247: 89 (three-star)
Rivals: 5.8 (four-star)
ESPN: 78 (three-star)
Composite: 89.24 (four-star)
RECRUITMENT RUNDOWN
When the former AAU basketball standout made the switch to concentrate on football full-time, he became a true prospect. And when he reclassified from the Class of 2024 to the Class of 2025, he became a legit Notre Dame prospect. Augustine was pursued by several Midwestern programs, although Ohio State wasn’t as serious a player as many believed. From the moment we met Augustine shortly after he landed his Irish offer after camp in June 2023, it was obvious Notre Dame had a great chance. But he was never going to rush it and never did, waiting until February of this year to choose the Irish over Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan among many others.
ISD EXPERT JAMIE UYEYAMA
A basketball player with really good mobility, Augustine is one of those prospects whose ranking probably has a lot more to do with the region he's from than his potential. He's an easy mover with all of the traits to develop into a multi-year starter.
Any program could use long, efficient athletes like him on the offensive line. He has the potential to be one of the steals in this Notre Dame recruiting class.
FAVORITE ISD QUOTE
“As soon as I stepped on campus, I felt a sense of belonging and a family feel. It’s kind of something I’ve had my whole life; going to a small, strong academic private school since pre-K. That transition from a small high school that is academically-oriented is a perfect fit for Notre Dame as a small, private institution with great academics and great football.”
OL WILL BLACK
VITALS
6’7, 295
Choate Rosemary Hall (Wallingford, Conn.)
OFFERS
Notre Dame, Alabama, Appalachian State, Boston College, UConn, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Kansas, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, Rutgers, South Carolina, Stanford, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech
RANKING
ISD: 95 (four-star)
247: 94 (four-star)
Rivals: 6.1 (five-star)
ESPN: 83 (four-star)
Composite: 98.32 (four-star)
RECRUITMENT RUNDOWN
Even before Black arrived in the United States from Canada, we were told he would end up at a school like Notre Dame, Michigan or Penn State. Alabama and other schools tried to get in the mix and Black gave them a chance, but it wasn’t what he was looking for. Prior to his junior season at Choate Rosemary Hall, we were also told not to pay attention to his trips that fall since his visit opportunities would be limited. Indeed, the only game day visit he made that fall was to Michigan and when others began talking about the Wolverines having momentum, we remembered what we’d been told. By Dec. of 2023, he pulled the trigger, feeling comfortable with the direction of the Irish program and with putting his faith in Marcus Freeman and Joe Rudolph.
ISD EXPERT JAMIE UYEYAMA
He’s an impressive athlete, a natural knee bender, and has a nasty disposition when it comes to the run game. He has a big frame with plenty of room to add good weight and that is going to be scary when that happens.
He reminds me a lot of Joe Alt with his wide base and ability to control defenders with his length. Black has big time traits and has all of the tools to develop into an outstanding offensive tackle. There simply aren't many players who have the tools he possesses. He has a sky high ceiling.
FAVORITE ISD QUOTE
“When I came down I didn't really know what to expect. I didn't really know how good I was yet because I had just been playing against Canadian football players.
“I guess I would say I wasn't super confident when I came down, but I built my confidence pretty fast. I learned that I was pretty good and that I could compete with kids from the States and kind of dominate.”
OL CAMERON HERRON
VITALS
6’4, 275
Warren Central (Indianpolis, Ind.)
OFFERS
Notre Dame, Army, Ball State, Boston College, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Duke, Eastern Michigan, Howard, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Jackson State, Louisville, Marshall, Miami (OH), Northwestern, Ohio, Pitt, Purdue, Toledo, West Virginia, Western Kentucky and Western Michigan
RANKING
ISD: 90 (four-star)
247: 90 (four-star)
Rivals: 5.7 (three-star)
ESPN: 79 (three-star)
Composite: 89.62 (four-star)
RECRUITMENT RUNDOWN
For almost a year, it seemed clear, if Notre Dame had a spot for Herron, he’d take it. He made a visit back in January, but when the Irish landed Augustine and Strebig in less than two weeks in February, there didn’t seem to be any room. Still, he showed up at Irish Invasion in early-June and was one of the most impressive performers there regardless of position. When an offer still didn’t come, Herron committed to Iowa a few weeks later. Finally, Notre Dame came calling in October and while he has great respect for the Hawkeye program, the opportunity was too great for him to pass up. He took an official visit in October and announced his flip to the Irish one day later.
ISD EXPERT JAMIE UYEYAMA
Herron’s athleticism is a huge asset. His ability to block in space as a puller and reach block defensive tackles with quick feet are what makes him a very good prospect, but he can also be great in pass protection as well.
I think he’s ultimately going to end up as a center with the flexibility to play some guard too. My comp for him is a prospect Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph recruited at Wisconsin, Tanor Bortolini. He’s someone who started games at multiple positions for the Badgers, but was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts as a center.
Bortolini was another undersized prospect who needed to add weight and he did that. Herron will have to do the same, but the most important thing they have in common is how athletic they are. Herron ran a 4.51 short shuttle at Irish Invasion and that’s an outstanding time for a high school interior line prospect.
He’ll take some time to physically develop, but he has the potential to become a multi-year starter and future NFL Draft pick.
FAVORITE ISD QUOTE
“I don't want to think back and think, 'Should've, could've, would've.' I just want to reach for the stars and go for it all. I don't want to have any things that I look back and like, 'Dang, man, I wish I did this.' I want to go for it all.”
OL OWEN STREBIG
VITALS
6’8, 295
Catholic Memorial (Waukesha, Wis.)
OFFERS
Notre Dame, Arkansas, UCF, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, Stanford, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC and Wisconsin
RANKING
ISD: 92 (four-star)
247: 90 (four-star)
Rivals: 5.9 (four-star)
ESPN: 82 (four-star)
Composite: 92.48 (four-star)
RECRUITMENT RUNDOWN
Strebig might have visited every relevant school in the country during his recruitment as he went coast-to-coast, but always kept coming back to Notre Dame. The staff also returned the favor as they were at his high school every chance the NCAA allowed, which might have proved to a be difference maker as it showed Strebig he was a priority. In the end, Notre Dame beat Florida State, Miami and Wisconsin for the 6-foot-8, 295-pounder as he committed last February to Joe Rudolph and the Fighting Irish.
ISD EXPERT JAMIE UYEYAMA
Another big man with a monstrous frame, he can still get a lot bigger and stronger. I think he’s going to look a lot different in a couple of years after being in Notre Dame’s strength and conditioning program.
Once that physical development happens, he has the potential to develop into a quality player for the Irish. The closest Notre Dame comp for me would be Tommy Kraemer, who played early at Notre Dame, but took some time for his strength to catch up to this size in college. I think it's likely he ends up playing guard rather than tackle and he can be someone who moves people at the point of attack.
FAVORITE ISD QUOTE
“In the back of my mind, it's always been Notre Dame. I love the tradition. I love the school. The biggest thing is I'm going to be able to get my degree. It's a powerful degree. The alumni connection is amazing. You don't find that at a lot of places and then you look at the football program, it just keeps trending up every year.
“You want to find the best of both worlds, Notre Dame is the best of both worlds. Then, two, just my relationship with Coach Freeman and Coach Rudolph. I have so much trust in them. I'm excited to just get there, get to work and do my best to get developed.”
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