What Is Next For Notre Dame Football Recruiting?
![Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, right, greets quarterback Kenny Minchey (8) during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in South Bend. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, right, greets quarterback Kenny Minchey (8) during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in South Bend.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_6901,h_3881,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/irish_breakdown/01j55w7b77scsnr08qp6.jpg)
While we all await Deuce Knight to make his decision, there are still a few targets left on the board for Notre Dame that are surely of interest to Irish fans as we get deeper into the 2025 cycle. Notre Dame currently touts 22 commitments, with it being reasonable to expect it to end up with anywhere from 24-27 when come National Signing Day.
The 2025 class is a solid one, ranked 8th as of August 8 according to 247Sports, but is feeling the impact of key loss Ivan Taylor and a few whiffs down the stretch, namely wide receivers Derek Meadows, Dylan Robinson and Tanook Hines.
Safety and receiver are positions of emphasis this cycle, as it's no secret that supreme talent at those two spots can be what puts a Notre Dame team that is traditionally great on both lines of scrimmage, over the top.
The Irish landed studs at safety in both JaDon Blair and Ethan Long, as well as the diamond in the rough Brandon Logan, but are lacking severely at receiver and will look to make an impact there as this class concludes.
As it stands, Elijah Burress is the only 'true' receiver committed to Notre Dame, with there being rumors that Jerome Bettis Jr. may end up on the defensive side of the ball.
It is easier said than done, but my first order of business if I was Marcus Freeman would be to do everything I possibly could to land in-state stud receiver JonAnthony Hall. The Irish seemed to have prioritized other pass catchers early on and Hall wound up committing to rival Stanford back on June 28.
It is no secret that the Cardinal have not been doing too hot on the gridiron recently, going 3-9 in each of the last three seasons and failing to go over .500 since 2018. That right there should be plenty to lure Hall to take a look again at staying home. Not to mention, clearly academics are a priority for him and Notre Dame can offer that as well.
Other receivers to keep an eye on for the Irish to try to flip would be longtime target Raiden Vines-Bright, currently committed to Washington, and Jayvan Boggs who recently flipped his commitment from Missouri to UCF.
Washington WR commit @RVinesbright looks fantastic after addingg 15 pounds and hitting 190! #UDuub | #Huskies | @IMGAFootball pic.twitter.com/DPojUYjIWO
— Brian Smith (@fbscout_florida) August 2, 2024
The other two main targets for Notre Dame down the stretch happen to be in the same position group. Madden Faraimo and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng would be MASSIVE additions for the Irish at linebacker and the staff has been doing everything it can to land both.
When it comes to landing two of the best linebackers in the country, the Irish were always going to face stiff competition and that is not stopping anytime soon.
For Faraimo, Texas and USC continue to be the big players down the stretch to rival Notre Dame for his pledge. As for Owusu-Boateng, Michigan, USC and Ohio State continue to be the names to know, alongside Notre Dame.
There is no news that is expected to be imminent on the targets above, but with the college football season just around the corner, you can bet that all of these targets will be tuned into Notre Dame's primetime matchup with Texas A&M on August 31.
Winning that game, especially in style, could prove to make a lasting impact on each and every one of the recruits left on the board and maybe even bring some new names to the light that take notice of the Irish this fall.
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