2028 FL ATH Dominick Harris-Payne "Excited" About Notre Dame Offer
Dominick Harris-Payne continues to see his recruitment expand, and Notre Dame is now part of it.
The 2028 Florida athlete learned he had an offer from the Irish during a call with assistants Aaron Henry and Shaun Shivers last week.
“They just like my film,” he said. “They watched me, they decided about me, ready to get me out there and stuff.”
The 6-foot-3, 165-pounder said the offer resonated immediately for reasons beyond football.
“I was excited,” Harris-Payne said. “Big academic school. I'm big on academics, so yeah, that was really it for me, for real.”
Asked why academics carry so much weight in his decision-making process, the Lakeland High School standout did not hesitate.
“You need it,” he said. “You can't go anywhere without it.”
Harris-Payne said his early conversations with the Irish coaches stood out on a personal level.
“I like them a lot,” he said. “I felt like they talk to me like another brother. It felt like real family.”
A visit to South Bend is expected, though no date has been finalized.
“Not yet,” the Lakeland, Fla., native said when asked if he had a trip locked in. “I’ve still got to set that up.”
He anticipates making the trip this spring. When he does get to campus, he wants to see if the culture matches what he has heard.
“I want to see the same things that they were talking about, that it's a brotherhood,” Harris-Payne said. “Everybody is together and it's all one unit working towards the same goal.”
Harris-Payne also holds offers from schools like Colorado, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Purdue, SMU, Wake Forest and Wisconsin among others.
For now, he is still mapping out additional spring visits as well.
As the offers continue to come in, Harris-Payne said the attention reflects steady progress.
“It's nice to see that my hard work is paying off,” he said. “Obviously the job is not done, but it's nice to see that I'm getting recognized.”
With plenty of time before a final decision, finding a school that will best set him up for the future will determine his choice.
“Most important to me is the school that has the best fit for me and that is going to do what I see fit to get me to where I need to be for the next level,” Harris-Payne said.
“Academics of course and just a strong overall family.”
He knows what that path requires.
“A good coaching staff is going to push me. Good teachers that are going to push me. Just an overall foundation that is going to push me to keep grinding.”
Want the latest scoop on the Fighting Irish? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
Colosseum Navy Notre Dame Fighting Irish Arch & Logo Crew Neck
