Irish Breakdown

Notre Dame Recruiting: 247Sports' Tom Loy Breaks Down 2025 Offensive Class

247Sports' Tom Loy offers key insights into Notre Dame's 2025 offensive recruiting class, highlighting the standout prospects and future stars.

Nathan Erbach

Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates after a victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates after a victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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Notre Dame is on the tail end of the 2025 recruiting cycle. The Irish staff is big on landing top targets early, therefore, usually around this time it is fairly quiet on the trail, or at least there aren't many spots left to fill. 2025 is no different in that regard, but there definitely seems to be a buzz in the air on how this class will finish with several top targets.

Currently, the class is comprised of 23 recruits and I was able to chat with 247sports National College Football Recruiting Analyst, Tom Loy, to get his thoughts on the class.

He went in depth on every position group. The first article of my "Talking Recruiting with Loy" series will highlight his overall thoughts on the 2025 offensive class to date.

Quarterback (1) - Blake Hebert

Unless you've been living under a rock as a Notre Dame fan, the Deuce Knight saga finally ended this month and the Irish coaching staff quickly pivoted to a former top target. Notre Dame flippedBlake Hebert from Clemson on October 14th. Here's what Loy had to say:

"Blake Hebert is talented. He’ll need some time before he’s counted on in South Bend, but he’s got size and enough athleticism to make some noise eventually at Notre Dame. Is he CJ Carr? No. Is he Deuce Knight? No. But Hebert clearly has some stuff to him that you can work with, which I know the Irish staff is excited about."

Running Back (1) - Justin Thurman

It's been an interesting recruiting cycle for Notre Dame at the running back position. They received two early pledges from Daniel Anderson and Justin Thurman, but considering what Deland McCullough has brought in the past few cycles it has left many wanting a bit more. Anderson has since left the class, leaving Thurman the sole running back in the class for now.

Loy shares the sentiment that the class could be better:

"Candidly, I don’t love what Notre Dame has done at the running back position this cycle. The pairing of Justin Thurman and Daniel Anderson didn’t blow me away. That said, Thurman has some stuff that I like. He runs well, he catches it with ease, he’s a willing blocker, and he’s been productive at the high school level. I can see him doing some really nice things behind a talented offensive line in South Bend."

Wide Receiver (3) - Antavious Richardson, Elijah Burress, Jerome Bettis Jr.

It feels like wide receiver recruiting has been talked about ad nausem, especially after Notre Dame whiffed on several early top targets in the class. However, they were able to flip Richardson from South Florida earlier this month, and he was recently elevated to a four-star on both 247sports and On3. Burress also received his four-star by 247 in their latest update.

While it hasn't been the class many fans wanted or expected, Loy believes it is an underrated haul:

"I’m a big fan of Antavious Richardson. I’m fired up about his potential at the receiver position. He’s a freaky athlete and one that is going to surprise the casual fan at the next level. Elijah Burress is another that I like a lot more today than I did last year. His growth has been terrific. He’s everything the Notre Dame staff hoped he’d become. He’s polished and still has a ton of potential. Jerome Bettis Jr. is listed as a receiver, but if he eventually moves to safety, I won’t be shocked. I like the get. I like what he brings to the table from a size, physicality, and toughness standpoint."

Tight End (1) - James Flanigan

Along with offensive line, tight end is consistently the position that Notre Dame recruits the best - and this year is no different. 247 recently moved Flanigan up to the No. 105 player nationally and it wouldn't be surprising if that ranking continued to trend positively into the top 100.

According to Loy, Flanigan is an elite player at the position:

"James Flanigan is one of the truly elite players at his position this cycle. Athletically, very few can match what he does on the field. There are a lot of talented tight ends this cycle and Flanigan is among the best of the best."

Offensive Line (4) - Cameron Herron, Matty Augustine, Owen Strebig, Will Black

They don't call Notre Dame Offensive Line U for no reason, and this 2025 class certainly helps back that claim. Black is a five-star on one publication and is at least a top 100 ranked recruit everywhere else. Herron recently received a four-star from 247 after flipping his commitment from Iowa earlier this month. Strebig and Augustine have a wider range of opinions, but there is no doubting the potential both have based on their size and skill.

Loy is also very high on the offensive line class:

"Will Black is the headliner and rightfully so. He’s special. He could eventually be a day-one pick in the NFL Draft. He’s different. Cameron Herron is a bull. Love what he brings to the table from a toughness, physicality, and polish standpoint. Owen Strebig and Matty Augustine are similar in the fact that they are ridiculously-gifted size-wise. However, they still lack some polish that will be developed over time. Joe Rudolph is a terrific coach and he’ll get the most out of them in time."

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Nathan Erbach
NATHAN ERBACH

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