Irish Breakdown

Deuce Knight Departure Highlights Notre Dame's Ongoing Recruiting Trend

Recruiting at Notre Dame comes with unique challenges

John Kennedy

Sep 21, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman prepares to lead his players onto the field for the game against the Miami Redhawks at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images
Sep 21, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman prepares to lead his players onto the field for the game against the Miami Redhawks at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images / Matt Cashore / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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"Choosing Hard" doesn't just apply to to the players at Notre Dame

It's hard to recruit to Notre Dame. It always has been and it always will be. For many reasons. Weather, academics, culture, independence, a focus on faith that doesn't strike everyone, etc.

While coaches may come and go, these challenges remain. And while they are acknowledged as reasons recruiting is challenging, they cannot turn into excuses to not be excellent on the trail.

Every coach accepts the Notre Dame head job knowing recruiting the Irish is a unique beast. It is a cross-country endeavor that takes a lot of extra time, effort, and dedication. Marcus Freeman relishes this challenge. Since Marcus has taken over the program, no doubt the roster has become deeper, longer, and more athletic. That said, there's still room for this recruiting operation to grow in one major area.

Notre Dame Cannot Hold Onto Top Recruits

While there is a lot to like about the way Freeman has altered the Irish roster, there is a disturbing theme emerging. From Peyton Bowen, and then Dante Moore's allegedly "silent Irish commitment", to Keon Keeley to Ivan Taylor and Deuce Knight, Notre Dame continues to lose its top-rated recruits and targets. A momentum killer on the trail.

Notre Dame is in a challenging position. It must first secure the commitment of 4-5 star players. Already a tough task. After that, the Irish must fend off every football factory in the country that comes to poach their commits.

Finding the balance between elite skill and loyalty has not been easy, but it's the next needed step in the growth of the program for Coach Freeman and his GM Chad Bowden.

For more Irish news & notes follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your preferred audio podcast provider.

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John Kennedy
JOHN KENNEDY

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