Notre Dame Set to Land Another Defensive Star This Week?
With 21 commitments already in place, Notre Dame's 2025 recruiting class is much closer to the end than the start. By the end of the week that total could swell to 22, and an already star-filled defense could be even stronger.
One the nation's top safeties, JaDon Blair of Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor’s, has set a commitment date of Friday, July 5. Notre Dame has a seat at the final table and mulptiple recruiting experts from around the nation have him pegged to choose the Fighting Irish.
Blair checks in at 6-4.5", 195-pounds and On3 Sports, 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals all rank Blair as a four-star prospect. On3 has Blair rated the highest as he checks in as their 85th overall prospect and eighth-best safety in the 2025 recruiting cycle.
Along with Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, Florida State, Louisville, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech all remain in the running for Blair.
If he chooses Notre Dame, Blair would join a group of several players whose fathers played in the NFL.
Ivan Taylor (son of former Steeler DB Ike), James Flanagan (Bears DL Jim ), Elijah Burress (Steelers and Giants WR Plaxico), and Jerome Bettis, Jr. (Rams and Steelers RB Jerome) are all current commitments in the 2025 class for Notre Dame.
Blair's father Ja'Warren Blair played on the defensive line at East Carolina from 1998-2002 before spending time in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. He also had a stint in NFL Europe with the Amsterdam Admirals and the Rhein Fire.
Blair is scheduled to announce his college decision on Friday, July 5 at 3 p.m. ET in the Mount Tabor high school gymnasium. You'll be able to watch Blair's commitment announcement live on the On3 Recruits channel on YouTube.
NICK SHEPKOWSKI