Whatever Josh Dobson’s expectations were coming into Saturday’s trip to Notre Dame, they were exceeded.
“First, Coach (Marcus) Freeman, he's a great coach,” the elite 2027 South Carolina cornerback told Irish Sports Daily. “Just based on the talk I had with him, with my family. I love what he's doing there. I love what he's got going there. I can't wait to start building a bigger relationship with not just him, but the staff.”
The message to Dobson was a familiar one for Freeman and his staff.
“The culture and the brotherhood that the team has and the weight of an Irish degree, which obviously means a lot to me and my family,” Dobson said of what he heard from the Irish.
“My mom's a teacher, so she wants me to have a good education.”
The Catawba Ridge High School star has a lengthy list of scholarship offers that includes Notre Dame, Clemson, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State, North Carolina, Penn State, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M and Michigan among others.
Despite the Irish’s 41-40 loss to the Aggies on Saturday night, he enjoyed the game.
“The game was great,” he said. “I was sorry they couldn't pull it out, but they played amazing. I'm proud of them.
“The atmosphere was great. Everything about it; the fans, the student section. They only have 8,000-something students at the school, and it looked like they all were there, so it's a family.”
He was able to meet several recruits and reconnect with some others.
“I got to say what's up to TJ Davis,” he said of the 2026 Irish linebacker commit. “I saw a couple other commits. I know Nick Reddish. Khary Adams, he didn't make it, but I know who he is. I talked to him before I went, asked him if he was going. I was with some of the recruits like (2027 cornerback) Ace Alston.”
Dobson said he “definitely” feels he would fit in with the players in South Bend.
He has other visits set up in the coming weeks to see Tennessee, Texas A&M, Miami, LSU and South Carolina.
But he’ll keep in touch with the Irish.
“Just keep on building that relationship and coming back, maybe a game later on down the line or after the season,” he said.
“My feelings are very great. They shocked me a lot. Me and my family are very glad we took this visit. The culture and the environment the coaches had and just the love they had for seeing me. It was great.”
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