Reports | Notre Dame Expected To Add Top Recruiting Staffer From Penn State

Notre Dame is expected to hire Kenny Sanders, a longtime Penn State recruiting administrator, to its football staff in an off-field role, according to CBS’ Matt Zenitz and other reports.

Sanders most recently served as director of player personnel at Penn State before leaving the program. He could join head coach Marcus Freeman’s staff in South Bend as assistant general manager, but Irish Sports Daily is told an exact title is still under discussion and that the hiring isn’t quite complete just yet. 

Sanders spent the majority of the past decade in Penn State’s program, initially joining the recruiting staff in 2014 under former head coach James Franklin before departing for a stint at Oregon and returning to Happy Valley as director of player personnel in 2022. 

Sanders’ experience in evaluating talent and coordinating recruiting efforts has made him a respected figure in college football personnel circles.

His departure from Penn State comes as the program undergoes broader staff changes with Matt Campbell being hired as head coach following Franklin’s firing this fall. 

If he does join the program, Sanders is expected to contribute to Notre Dame’s recruiting and personnel evaluation processes, working alongside the existing staff to support recruiting strategy and relationship building.

Sanders would join a deep recruiting department headed by general manager Mike Martin, which also includes Director of Recruiting Carter Auman, Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, Jourdan Blake, Becca Sites, Ariella Ellis and others. 

The potential hiring is another example of Notre Dame continuing to place emphasis on its personnel operations. Sanders’ experience on both the East Coast and West Coast would be beneficial for the program moving forward.

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