ISD Intel | Behind The Scenes Of Notre Dame Recruiting

If the construction of Notre Dame’s 2027 recruiting class were a Bob Ross painting, we’d be past the emergence of “happy trees” and to the point where the full picture is beginning to become truly identifiable.

The mountains are set, the water is in place and you can start to see exactly what it’s supposed to be, but the finer details are still to come.

After a quartet of commits last week, Notre Dame has an extremely strong foundation in place with key pieces on both sides of the ball giving shape to what the staff is building. 

The offensive core is established with a quarterback, multiple running backs, early additions along the offensive line and a couple new pass-catchers, while the defensive side has taken form with a growing secondary and its first pieces up front.

There’s still work to be done. 

The Irish are expected to add at least one more wide receiver, a couple more offensive linemen, a handful of defensive linemen and at least one more linebacker, while the defensive back group could still see additional movement as the board continues to evolve.

But, if it wasn’t already obvious, this is a new era of Notre Dame Recruiting. In years past, the Irish would often find themselves toward the top of early class rankings after building their core only to see schools like Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State among others zoom past them when the Top 50 prospects eventually made their commitments. 

Notre Dame has once again built one of the best classes early and now, for the second cycle in a row, the Irish can actually improve their ranking down the stretch as they remain in prime position with some of those truly elite prospects. 

What follows is a look at where things stand at each offensive position, including the current commits, top targets and where Notre Dame is as the class continues to take shape and final details begin to bring the full portrait into focus.

QB IS COMPLETE: Quarterback is one position where there is no mystery left.

Notre Dame is done.

The Irish landed their signal-caller last week in Florida’s Wonderful Monds IV‍, a player they believe can anchor the class both on and off the field. 

Monds, who reclassified from 2028 to 2027, was one of the top quarterbacks in the country in his original class and immediately became a priority once that move was made. His commitment allowed Notre Dame to shut things down early at the position and focus resources elsewhere.

On the field, Monds brings a blend of physical presence and functional athleticism that fits what Notre Dame wants at the position. He’s built to operate from the pocket, but not limited to it. He can extend plays, push the ball down the field and create when things break down, all while keeping his eyes up and working within the structure. That combination gives the staff flexibility in how they build around him.

More importantly, he brings traits that translate beyond the tape. Leadership, command and presence.

He’s seen as somebody capable of taking ownership of a class, and Notre Dame is counting on that here. He’s vocal, competitive and wired the way you want your quarterback wired, which shows up both in how he plays and how he approaches the position. That matters at a spot where the ripple effects extend throughout the entire roster.

DONE AT RB TOO: Running back is another position where Notre Dame is set.

The Irish landed commitments from Isaiah Rogers‍ and Lathan Whisenton‍ in March, giving running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider two backs with different, but complementary skill sets.

Whisenton brings rare explosiveness to the position. The Texas standout is a legitimate home-run threat every time he touches the football, combining verified track speed with lower-body power and contact balance. He’s capable of running through arm tackles, dropping his pads and finishing physically, but also has enough patience and foot quickness to be effective between the tackles. There are still areas for him to grow, particularly in the passing game and pass protection, but the combination of speed and power gives him one of the higher ceilings among backs Notre Dame has landed in recent cycles.

Rogers wins differently. The Massachusetts back stands out because of his vision, instincts and versatility. He reads blocks extremely well, understands when to plant and go and has enough long speed to finish runs once he gets into space. He’s also more advanced than many backs in the passing game after catching 37 passes as a junior, which gives him the profile of a true three-down back long term. While he may not have the same top-end explosiveness as Whisenton, there’s extreme confidence in his ability to become a highly productive runner.

Together, Rogers and Whisenton give Notre Dame balance stylistically while still fitting the overall identity Seider wants in the room.

CLARITY AT WR: When I joined Greg Flammang for Hit & Hustle last week, I acknowledged being puzzled a bit by Jackson Coleman’s recruitment. 

I knew the 2027 Colorado receiver had enjoyed his recent visit to South Bend, but his reluctance to lock in an official visit afterward gave me pause. At the time, I said the only thing that would make sense to me was if he had just about made up his mind and was ready to decide without needing the benefit of officials. 

That’s exactly what happened as Coleman announced his commitment to Notre Dame on Monday, giving the Irish their first pledge at the position. 

I got that one right. But there was another one I got wrong. 

For more than a month, I strongly maintained that Pennsylvania receiver Cade Cooper‍ would ultimately end up in Notre Dame’s class. I’m no longer bullish on that happening as it seems the Irish simply preferred Coleman over Cooper for that role for a bigger receiver. After signing five receivers last cycle, there isn’t a huge need for numbers at the position. 

So, if I’m guessing today, I’d guess that Cooper lands elsewhere.

The good news is if anything has changed with our thoughts on Notre Dame and Julius Jones Jr.‍, we’re even stronger in our belief that the 2027 Florida receiver ends up with the Irish. 

The son of the Irish legend has long been one of the top priorities on the board and Notre Dame continues to trend in the right direction. Jones is still expected to announce in late-June following official visits to Miami, Oregon, Notre Dame and Florida, but there is increasing confidence surrounding the Irish. For the past couple of weeks, sources in Florida were more confident about Jones ending up at Notre Dame than sources in South Bend, but sources on all sides of the recruitment seem to be closer to full alignment now. 

We could envision a class of Coleman and Jones completing the receiver haul for the Irish this cycle, although we wouldn’t rule out Notre Dame adding a third if it’s the right fit. IMG’s Osani Gayles‍, who narrowed his list to Notre Dame, Alabama, Tennessee, Stanford and Washington this week, would certainly qualify as such a fit. 

Coleman gives the Irish a very specific type of receiver they wanted in the class. 

The Colorado standout is a true vertical threat with verified speed, natural ball skills and the ability to create explosive plays after the catch. At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, he brings size without sacrificing movement skills and has the athletic profile Notre Dame covets on the outside. The staff also believes there is still significant upside remaining as he continues to develop physically and refine the technical parts of his game.

The belief is that Coleman fits Notre Dame in every way. And while the Irish were relatively late in going after him, they offered about three weeks ago, it’s not too dissimilar from their pursuit of offensive lineman Grayson McKeogh in the Class of 2026. 

Like McKeogh, Coleman has proven to be a mature kid who understood the process and didn’t allow timing to impact him taking the best overall opportunity for himself. Like McKeogh, Coleman is also an elite student. 

On the field, it’s even more simple. Coleman is big, tall and fast. 

Prior to his visit for the Blue-Gold Game, we reported that he would be treated as a priority. Coming out of the visit, Coleman told us that he was treated that way.

And the reason for that is also simple, Coleman became a true priority for the Irish over the past month and one they are thrilled to have added.

ND GETS ON BOARD AT TE TOO: Tight end also became much clearer this week when Titus Hawk‍ also committed to Notre Dame on Monday.

The Oklahoma standout gives the Irish their first tight end in the class and very possibly their only one depending on how the rest of the board shakes out.

Notre Dame will still pursue Tennessee’s Malik Howard‍ and the Irish are probably in the top two of that recruitment alongside the in-state Vols, but if Hawk ultimately ends up being the lone tight end addition in the class, Notre Dame will be perfectly comfortable with that outcome. 

This is also a spot where we could envision some further movement later in the cycle, especially if Notre Dame has the kind of season many expect this fall.

Still, Hawk alone gives the Irish a player they believe has major upside.

Much of that confidence comes from how strong the belief is in Hawk’s long-term ceiling.

The Irish seemed to have identified Hawk earlier than most programs and benefited from staying on him before others fully caught up. There’s a belief that Hawk largely flew under the radar because he hasn’t lived the typical high-profile recruiting lifestyle. He hasn’t been a major camp circuit kid and has spent most of his time simply playing football, basketball and baseball rather than doing a bunch of combine drills and testing.

What is obvious on tape is a rare combination of elite physical traits, athleticism and mentality. At 6-foot-7 with elite length, Hawk brings dimensions that simply can’t be coached, but the bigger selling point may actually be the edge he plays with. His physicality, competitiveness and willingness to embrace contact both as a blocker and after the catch is hard not to love.

The multi-sport background matters here too and it shows up constantly on film in the way Hawk adjusts in space, tracks the football, sustains blocks and stays balanced after contact despite his size. The athleticism pops immediately. He’s a true vertical threat at the position with legitimate run-after-catch ability and enough movement skills to create matchup problems once he gets rolling.

There simply are not many players with Hawk’s combination of length, movement skills and toughness. As a highly, yet still possibly underrated prospect, it’s natural to compare him to other elite tight end targets in the class, especially some of the ones the Irish pursued heavily. While each has their strengths and some of those strengths are essentially the same as Hawk’s, there are areas where Hawk’s length simply gives him the advantage. 

There’s also the idea of Hawk possibly having a higher ceiling after having his production be somewhat limited last fall. There is some anticipation for the kind of breakout season as a senior that could vault him into the Top 5 nationally, although some already have him well within that. 

Hawk is viewed as a hard worker with significant upside whose best football is still ahead of him as his body continues to develop. He will certainly need to add some considerable weight and is probably closer to a jumbo receiver than a complete in-line tight end, but once Hawk stops playing basketball and gets in a college weight room, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Few like comparing players, but one source agreed with ISD expert Jamie Uyeyama’s comp of Eli Raridon, although admittedly not yet the physical freak Raridon already was in high school. Personality-wise, Hawk has the same type of demeanor and edge that Kyle Rudolph brought to the position years ago. 

If Hawk reaches those ceilings, Notre Dame may not need another tight end in this class at all.

EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES AT OL: Offensive line remains one of the more important position groups to monitor moving forward because while Notre Dame already has two strong pieces committed in Richie Flanigan‍ and James Halter‍, the Irish are still looking to add at least two and potentially three more linemen before the cycle is complete.

Flanigan gives Notre Dame an intriguing piece because his recruitment began on the defensive line before the Irish firmly settled on him as an offensive lineman long term. That positional versatility, toughness and upside have made him one of the more interesting additions in the class.

Halter, meanwhile, looks like a prototypical offensive tackle prospect. 

The Pennsylvania standout only recently transitioned from tight end to offensive line, but the athleticism, movement skills and natural traits immediately stand out. He’s light on his feet, plays with outstanding length and already flashes advanced hand usage despite still being relatively new to the position. There’s also a finisher mentality to his game that Notre Dame covets. The long-term ceiling here is extremely high once the technical refinement and physical development continue catching up with the athletic profile.

Now the focus shifts to the rest of the board, where the Irish have multiple chances to land the kind of prospects who could put this class over the top. 

The most immediate - and as of yesterday, most encouraging - situation is Oluwasemilore Olubobola‍. 

Notre Dame successfully kept itself alive during his first trip to South Bend for the Blue-Gold Game last month and now find themselves in an extremely strong position. Until this week, we were quite sure the Irish needed to get the elite New Jersey offensive lineman back on campus with his family to have any shot at all. We no longer see a return visit as an absolute must. 

Notre Dame entered this recruitment later than schools like Miami, Florida, LSU and Texas A&M, but made up all of that ground. As recently as Monday, some sources felt this could ultimately come down to Miami and Florida, but after keeping themselves in the race with last month’s visit, the Irish have clearly continued to build on that momentum. 

We still expect Olubobola to operate on an accelerated timetable and make a decision prior to official visit season. While one source said it’s “very possible” Olubobola returns to South Bend for an unofficial visit before that, this seems to have moved forward enough where that isn’t necessarily critical. 

Bottom line, if we had to guess today, we think this one will go Notre Dame’s way in the end. 

Albert Simien‍ remains one of the more fascinating recruitments on the board.

Pulling a Louisiana offensive lineman away from LSU and Texas A&M was always going to be difficult, but Simien has consistently felt like a different kind of recruitment. He genuinely values what Notre Dame offers and, importantly, so do the people closest to him.

The Irish may not be the leader right now, but they have a far more legitimate shot here than many on the outside seem to realize. Official visits are expected to determine a lot in this recruitment and Notre Dame is set to receive one in June. 

If the Irish are going to cap this class with a “shocker” or two, Olubobola and/or Simien could very well end up being that. 

Luke Starcevic‍ continues to trend favorably as well.

The North Dakota standout is one of the more unique evaluations on the board because several programs see him as a tight end or defensive lineman while Notre Dame has remained fully sold on him as an offensive lineman from the start. Joe Rudolph’s work in this recruitment has been pivotal and that clarity of vision appears to be resonating.

Penn State remains a major factor here, but Notre Dame continues to sit in a strong position and the Irish’s developmental plan has consistently landed well throughout the process.

Delaware’s Layton Von Brandt‍ may be approaching the most pivotal stretch of any offensive line target currently on the board.

The former Penn State commit recently narrowed things down to Notre Dame, Florida, Penn State and Auburn and will take official visits to each before making a decision in early-July.

Notre Dame has felt like a very natural fit since the Penn State decommitment and the Irish remain firmly in the mix heading into official visit season. The added wrinkle here is former Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein now being at Florida, creating another familiar connection in the process along with the Nittany Lions. 

Cameron Wagner‍ rounds out the group.

The Illinois standout has official visits set to Wisconsin, Illinois, Oregon and Notre Dame, with the Irish getting the final trip on June 19. Wagner has visited South Bend multiple times this spring and Notre Dame has long felt like the team to beat because of the relationships he’s built with Rudolph and Marcus Freeman along with the overall fit within the program.

One interesting dynamic to monitor across the board is timing.

Outside of Olubobola, who is expected to decide by the end of the month, and von Brandt, whose decision is expected in early July, the timelines for players like Simien, Starcevic and Wagner remain somewhat fluid. That creates the possibility that one commitment could create momentum or urgency elsewhere on the board depending on how things begin to fall into place.

QUICK PEEK AT AHEAD AT DEFENSE: We’ll tackle the full defensive board in next week’s Intel, but obviously Aidan O’Neil’s commitment is a great start at defensive line. We maintain that this could be a truly historic defensive line haul for the Irish especially since they have legit shots at Brayden Parks‍, David Folorunsho‍, Jackson Vaughn‍, Abraham Sesay‍, Marcus Fakatou‍ and Xavier Muhammad‍.

If there is a spot to be concerned, it’s linebacker. Notre Dame already has Amarri Irvin‍ committed, but would like to get at least one more. Florida’s Kaden Henderson‍ would qualify as a game-changer, but he’s far from a lock. Hopefully, there will be some additional clarity that comes from the Notre Dame staff being on the road this week.

In the secondary, the Irish remain in pursuit of players like cornerback Monsanna Torbert‍ and safeties Karnell James‍ and Gavin Williams‍. Adding any of them would bolster a group that is already quite strong with cornerbacks Ace Alston‍ and Xavier Hasan‍ in the fold along with safeties Zayden Gamble‍ and John Gay III‍, although Williams is beginning to look less likely than he was recently.