ISD Intel | Behind The Scenes Of Notre Dame

Honesty is certainly a virtue, but when it comes to college football recruiting, it doesn’t come without risk. 

College coaches and programs don’t lie to prospects just for the hell of it or because they enjoy deceiving teen-agers. 

They do it because from their side of the table, it’s often the best tactic for their end goals; landing recruits and winning games. 

And in a world that puts an increasingly large emphasis on one’s own success - and money - it’s no shock that adults can often put what’s best for their own professional careers above what’s best for a young man’s journey. 

Whether it’s telling a recruit he fits one position perfectly when they know he’s probably better-suited for a different spot in their scheme. Or, simply making him believe he’s higher on their board than he actually is, coaches can often rationalize their approaches.

But there can be actual consequences for the kid that go beyond the surface. 

Sometimes a school will be in a position where they’re quite sure they’re going to fill their quota at a certain spot. Now, coaches shouldn’t be expected to simply stop recruiting other players because they feel good about one. In fact, that’s quite contrary to the responsibilities of their jobs. 

But, there do come times when the chances a school will have room for a kid become extremely slim, yet not zero. These can often come as other schools are filling up as well. 

There’s a difference between covering your bases and stringing a kid along, potentially costing him other opportunities, although both are in the best interest of the program. 

That line between doing what’s best for the program and what’s best for a kid you’ve claimed to want the best for is often blurred. 

The other thing about honesty in college football recruiting is that it can only truly be shown during difficult moments. 

If a kid is a no-doubter who is obviously going to have a chance to see the field Day One, whose spot in a recruiting class is never in jeopardy regardless of when he decides, there isn’t much incentive to shade the truth. 

But what about the rising sophomore you see at camp who checks most, but not all, of the boxes required to land an offer? What about the kid who probably needs more development before he sees the field in college despite what other suitors are telling him? What about the kid who is deciding between scheduling an official visit to your school and telling another school, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’ when you are 99 percent sure by the time that visit approaches you’ll be the one telling the kid, ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’?

It’s easy to hide behind doing what’s best for the program to justify handling these situations with less than full transparency. And maybe that’s how a lot of coaches interpret their job descriptions. 

But the short-term benefits may not outweigh the long-term rewards and they certainly won’t help you earn a reputation as an honest and genuine recruiter.

Talk to anybody who has dealt with him in recruiting and you’ll learn that is the exact reputation Notre Dame defensive line coach Al Washington has earned for himself.

“Out of all of the coaches that I've had an opportunity to interact with over the past 15 years, Coach Washington is probably the one who was the most genuine,” one high school coach tells ISD. “He's an authentic person. 

“The conversations that he has, they are real about his evaluation of the kid. He's not stringing you along. He tells you what he sees, he tells you what he's projecting and what he likes about the kid. And he's going to be as honest as he can about how he sees that kid fitting into his system.”

The parent of one top prospect agrees with that assessment. 

“I love the other coaches at the other schools that we had on our board, don't get me wrong,” the parent says. “I met Coach Washington and he told me straight out, he said, ‘Look man, you got something special. We're going to be watching him and I think next year we're going to probably offer him. But it's not going to be until the Pot of Gold Day.’

“So I brushed it off. It's not going to happen because when you’re at the camps, you see these other kids getting offered and stuff. You think in your mind like, ‘Oh, they’re just pulling your leg. They’re just telling you that. He may be somebody they didn't like, but they're going to watch.’

“But he kept his word and by him keeping that word, that meant a lot.” 

One position coach has been around college recruiters enough to have his guard up.

“I'm not coming in being a fan of any coach just because as a high school coach, most of the coaches that I've interacted with have sold me a story,” we were told. “Over the years, I've had to spend a lot of time picking out who's shooting me (BS) and who's telling me the truth. I'm not really coming in super warm, but I'm always open to hear what it is that you're trying to sell the kid on.

“Washington isn’t selling a dream, man. He's just giving the eye-opening experience of what the opportunity could be and how he's going to be there to help transition him in a lot of different ways.”

HONESTY BECOMES A TWO-WAY STREET: Whether his reputation precedes him in certain situations or whether he needs to prove himself from scratch, once he’s established himself as a straight-shooter, high school coaches are then encouraged to reciprocate that honesty.

“He's done a good job at saying, ‘Hey man, tell me who this kid is. Be transparent,’” one high school coach who has dealt with Washington says. 

“I've been transparent with him about the places (my player) has grown, and that hasn't changed his recruitment. It has helped their conversations grow.”

High school coaches don’t feel the need to constantly sell Washington on their player out of the fear that he may move on to another prospect who hasn’t had deficiencies pointed out. The reality, though, is all of these prospects have areas of their games they need to work on and being honest about those with college coaches is only going to help the kid land at the place most appropriate for him and aid his development in the long run.  

“I'm telling him like, ‘He has to continue to grow here. He has to continue to mature. This is one of the things that he has to keep working on. He has a lot of this, but he’s not so strong at that,’” says one coach who explained such a situation. 

BEING HONEST ABOUT GENUINELY CARING: Being honest and being genuine overlap in a major way, but there’s a subtle difference between simply telling the truth and being one’s authentic self.

Washington has displayed both, according to the coaches, players and parents we’ve talked to about him. 

“He leads with his family,” one source said. “Everybody says that. Every coach says that. He sets boundaries.”

Coming across as a “family man” may seem natural and obvious to many fans, but it means so much more to certain recruits who may not have that type of structure in their own lives. And it goes beyond having family come to recruiting events. Often, it’s proven through not being as available during specific times.

“There's a certain time after the official visits when coaches really get a couple of weeks,” one source said. “And I think (this recruit) could see, Coach Washington spent two or three of those weeks just trying to make extra time for the family, taking his kids to the games.

“When you're a kid, that is from a broken situation…he's not only looking for a coach, but he's looking for somebody to help him continue developing as a human. It can get scary. It can get scary because everybody's saying that they want you, but they might not need you and they might throw you away.”

And Washington certainly finds time to stay on top of recruits beyond just the routine check-ins.

“This is a busy man,” said one source tied to a recruit who was going through an especially difficult time. 

“This is a man who has a ton of other recruits. He was hitting me up once a week. How do I need to assist with him? What is he looking like? Where are we at now? What's his attitude? How's his mindset?”

Washington proved himself to be genuine this cycle.

“He did a good job not only allowing Notre Dame to sell who they are as an institution, but I just think he did a good job selling who he was,” one source said. “He led with character. I think he was honest and genuine about himself. 

“I don't think that he put the rose-colored glasses on (the player). He gave him an opportunity to know that I'm going to coach you hard. I'm going to respect you as a person, but I'm going to push you.” 

That can be difficult to prove in a moment and certainly not in any sort of scripted fashion. But according to one source, recruits witnessed one such moment during a visit that included practice viewing. 

We won’t go into too many details, but it involved a very difficult day for one walk-on defensive lineman, the very type of person who Washington wouldn’t need much from, especially not after this day. That being said, Washington went out of his way to make sure this young man was good and was taken care of when there was no upside for him to do so. 

“He still treated the young man like a human being,” the source said. “He still tried to help him navigate that very hard day. That was a hard day, but it was also eye-opening. I just don’t think that a lot of coaches let kids see how the sausage is made.”

Those kinds of things go a long way for a prospect like Ebenezer Ewetade‍. 

Washington went to bat for the 2026 North Carolina defensive end on multiple levels because he believed in him; a kid who was cut from his middle school team in seventh grade and was only able to stay on the team in eighth grade as the water boy, a kid in this country while his birth parents remain in Africa. 

“Everything felt like rejection,” one source close to Ewetade told ISD. “Everything kind of made him shut down. Everything made him put his eyes on the ground. Everything was a rebuttal. Everything felt real personal. I just didn't see a kid who I thought could last in college football just from being coachable. 

“Now, I see a young man who has grown, has some confidence in himself and is ready to be coached up. He's going to go through some hard days, but I think that he found a teacher in Coach Washington who had all the characteristics that he wants to have as a man himself.”

Yeah, let’s just say that relationship is a genuine one. 

“You could be as talented as you want, but if you never had adversity or never had anything to deal with and you come to college, it's going to be something that's always going to be an adjustment,” a separate source familiar with Ewetade’s recruitment said. 

“I think Ebenezer is going to be ahead of the game in that regard.”

Washington may not be among the slickest recruiters, but he’s certainly among the realest, according to sources.

“He's been authentic through the whole process,” another source said. “He's a busy man. He's still making time. I just think he's genuine in that way. 

“He doesn't sell the ice cream the way that maybe some other coaches sell. He doesn’t always make it feel good because he just leads with being honest.”

IT HAS TO BE MORE THAN THAT, THOUGH: Being honest and genuine is great and all, but by themselves, they’re not enough to land high-quality recruits.

“I think he's a great guy,” said one source connected to a committed prospect. “Just as a person, I like him. That's a great start. But it doesn't necessarily matter in the large scheme that they're just a great person. 

“Him being a great person is super important to it, and I know that it's going to impact the young man. He's going to be a great mentor for him. But you also want to know that the kid fits there in terms of academics, in terms of the scheme and the fit. 

The father of one prospect got a peek at both sides of Washington. 

“Washington is a great coach,” this father said. “I think that he has patience. He's definitely a gentle giant. He knows when to teach and he knows when to rev up. 

“I was able to experience that gentle side of him and that teaching side of him. But then I was able to see him rev up to a full capacity machine, and that's what I love.”

During one visit, this father encouraged Washington not to hold back because of their presence.

“You don't want to see that a coach is just passive all the time or they're faking it in front of you as a parent,” this father said. “I told him, ‘Man, I want to see you come out in your real form. I want to see what type of hype you got. I want to see that. Don't worry man, don't worry about me because I'm a father and I teach my son to get after it and be aggressive, so it's OK.’

“And that's the type of hyped-ness that I saw. I saw him being able to hype the boys up and hype the kids up because being a D-line coach, you have to have that mindset. You have to have that, ‘Hey, it's time to do this. It's time to do that.’”

But it’s more than just rah-rah as well.

“In football, there's a lot of onus on emotions,” a separate source said. “One of the most valuable things that I heard Coach Washington say was that ready isn't a feeling, it’s a decision. It's not a feeling. A lot of people try to puff up the feeling, really make themselves feel. It's not a feeling. It is a decision. It's the daily decisions that you make that are going to make you ready. 

“If you make the daily decisions to get ready, you could be just like some of the young men that come in. Or if you don't make the correct decisions, you might come in and you might put yourself behind the eight ball, and you might have to spend that first year as a redshirt.”

Washington, along with his assistant Nick Sebastian, understand kids learn in different ways and are eager to understand how each will digest the information best. 

“That's one of the things I liked about him,” Elijah Golden’s father, Ketaa, told ISD. “He's very knowledgeable, he loves to teach. When we went on a visit, he had Elijah in the room, him and Sebastian, and they were in the room watching film for a while, going over techniques and stuff. Elijah was fully alert. 

“One of the things Coach Washington said to me was, ‘Man, I love when I work with Elijah because most kids zone out after probably 15, 20 minutes, but he's just into it all through the whole thing.’ 

“I think he's one of them coaches that when he sees a kid that really is into it and loves it and wants it and wants to soak it up, that makes him love to teach. For him to recognize that, that meant a lot to me because that means that if my son wants to learn more, he's a coach who’s willing to put the extra work in.”

IT ALL COMES TOGETHER: In the end, when players, coaches and parents come to recognize Washington as somebody they can trust, somebody who wants the best for them and is willing to put in the work to accomplish it, it sets up an environment where players can thrive.

While many want to get on the field as soon as possible, some of those most knowledgeable with making the jump from high school to college are more concerned about what happens when immediate playing time isn’t on the table, which is much more common.

“What if my kid needs development and he can't start right now?” one such source says. “I know that college football says you have to win today, your job depends on you winning right now. Is this a place where they can set the kid up for success while trying to develop him? 

“Or, is this a place where they're just trying to round up all the athletes they can and just roll the dice and say, ‘Hey man, well, you didn't work out and we throw you in the portal.’

“I hear the word ‘development’ thrown around a lot by coaches. I think one thing that is impressive about Coach Washington is not only is he going to sit down and say the word development, he gives a much more detailed look at how someone can fit inside what it is that they're doing. And then the honesty and the transparency was there.”

Washington can point to guys like Rylie Mills and Howard Cross III, who didn’t have major impacts until later in their careers, but once they did, those impacts were huge. 

2026 DL GROUP A GOOD ONE: Washington and the Irish have a quartet of defensive linemen committed in the 2026 class in Ewetade, Golden, Rodney Dunham‍ and Tiki Hola‍. 

“They all complement each other,” one source said. “I think that was the goal. I think all four of those guys together are really, they're good together. You look at a group, they all day one, they could be on the field at the same time potentially.”

Notre Dame was looking for players who would have defined roles and people who fit the culture of the program and the school. 

“They're all Notre Dame guys, they believe in the mission of the school,” one source said. “They’re highly competitive and I think they're really talented.”

Hola and Golden were crucial as the pool of defensive linemen capable of playing on the interior can become especially shallow in terms of talent and academics. 

Some say the 2026 class is the best one Washington has brought in so far at Notre Dame. 

THE ULTIMATE ENDORSEMENT: The ultimate endorsement a coach can give a player is saying he’s the kind of young man they would want their own daughter to marry.

The ultimate endorsement a coach can give another coach is slightly different.

“I'm just telling you man, out of the coaches that I've met as a coach, Coach Washington is the person I would send my son to,” one coach said. “I just feel it's just more personable with Coach Washington. 

“For somebody to try to find integrity in that space and still just try to be genuine and not just check the boxes but treat it as if it was their kid. Everybody doesn't treat it as if it was their kid. I just think he leads with that and treats it as though he was recruiting his own son.”

One person who has been involved with Washington is a fan of Miami, but held back from posting on social media about the opening game out of respect for Washington. But this person also had their allegiances tested throughout the game. 

“I'm sitting there watching the game, I'm looking at the game and now that the score is getting ready to be tied it up, I'm like, ‘Man, I can't ******* stand Notre Dame,’” this person started. 

“And then I look at the sideline, I'm like, ‘Man, I genuinely like those guys.’ I actually like the coaches at Notre Dame and I don't like the coaches at Miami. And I'm a Miami fan.”

QUICK HITTERS: We’re not crossing 2027 North Carolina running back Amir Brown‍ off the Irish’s list just yet and have actually returned him to our ISD Target List. Brown surprised many when he committed to the in-state Tar Heels back last month, but we’re told this recruitment isn’t finished and we wouldn’t be surprised to see him take a visit to South Bend this Fall.

The Irish have already offered a handful of tight end targets in the Class of 2027 and seem to be in a good spot to land an elite one from a group that includes Seneca Driver‍, Grant Haviland‍, Jaxon Dollar‍ and Jack Brown‍, who could also play defensive line.

But, if Notre Dame were to expand its board to include New Jersey’s JT Geraci‍, the Irish would be in a tremendous position with him as well. Geraci currently has offers from schools like Alabama, Ohio State, Florida, Texas and Texas A&M among others. Geraci is expected to be in South Bend in a couple weeks and we’re told there is some serious mutual interest.

While elite prospects need to make the best decisions for themselves, they also want to play with each other. When elite 2027 quarterback Teddy Jarrard‍ committed to Notre Dame, his friend and former youth teammate, five-star 2027 defensive end David Jacobs Jr.‍ offered a congratulatory tweet. 

Jacobs is set to be in South Bend next weekend. Jarrard will be in town as well and you can bet he’ll be in Jacobs’ ear before, during and after the visit.

One source said what Jacobs is looking for in a college, “Sounds just like Notre Dame.”

Another source tied to Jacobs didn’t downplay the impact Jarrard could have on Jacobs’ recruitment.

“I think there's a lot of synergy when it comes to recruiting classes nowadays. There's so many similarities between these Top 25 programs from facilities to NIL to the coaching staffs that when you can get a friend group, a core group going to a school, I think there's definitely something to it. Like I said, I think it's a synergy thing.”