2025 Could Be The Year Of The Safety For Notre Dame

Breaking down the latest with where things stand for Notre Dame recruiting the 2025 safety class

There has been a lot of negativity around safety recruiting under Chris O’Leary. Notre Dame has had more than a few blunders over the last three classes, including not signing a class in the 2022 recruiting class. The Irish staff ended up signing two good players in Ben Minich and Adon Shuler in the 2023 class, but obviously lost elite safety Peyton Bowen late in the process and weren’t able to get Virginia standout Brandyn Hillman into school.

2024, once again, has had its bumps in the road. Luckily Notre Dame was able to get a commitment from in-state star Brauntae Johnson. Still, all the miststeps have left a lot of questions that still need to be answered.

The 2025 recruiting class is paramount for O’Leary and the staff to have a big cycle. Early on, the team is in a great spot with several big time players. With a plethora of big time talent on the board, and seemingly a lot of strong relationships, Notre Dame must make an impact to quiet the skepticism. The month of July could be a huge stepping stone to nailing down an impressive class.

RECENT VISITORS

Notre Dame has already managed to put together an impressive visitor list for the recruiting cookout on July 30th. That includes several big time safeties who will be making the trip up to South Bend, Indiana.

JaDon Blair - Winston Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor

For the first time, Blair will be making the trip to Notre Dame later this month. The Irish staff has been working on this one for a while, and is a massive accomplishment. The North Carolina star is one of the more gifted safeties on the board and brings an impressive blend of size, length and athleticism to the table.

Blair has received a flurry of interest from several notable programs thus far. Some of the top programs who have extended offers so far include the Fighting Irish, Penn State, Miami, Florida State, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Virginia, Duke, West Virginia, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech among several others.

On3 is especially high on the North Carolina star. Blair is rated as the No. 26 overall player and No. 2 safety in the 2025 recruiting class. That ranking also has Blair pegged as the No. 3 player in the state of North Carolina, an area that Notre Dame has made an impact in recently.

The 6-4, 180-pound athlete was a substantial producer from his safety position. He finished his sophomore campaign with 44 total tackles, two tackles for loss, an interception and two pass breakups.

Ethan Long - Milford (Conn.) Brunswick School

For the second time this off-season, Long will be making the trip back to South Bend. Long originally visited several weeks ago for a Notre Dame evaluation camp where his performance earned him an offer. Since then, things have been trending in a great direction. Notre Dame feels like the early favorite for Long.

Long has been active on the recruiting trail this off-season, visiting several schools and competing at camps. That has led to a flurry of offers being extended. Some of the notable programs who have offered include Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Michigan State, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Boston College and Duke among several others.

The 6-2, 185-pound defensive back was a main catalyst for an extremely talented 9-1 Brunswick squad. Long recorded three interceptions, recovered three fumbles and didn’t allow a single reception as a sophomore.

Ivan Taylor - Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange

Notre Dame was able to get Taylor to come back for a visit after coming to an evaluation camp earlier this off-season. The Irish staff has quietly made a tremendous impact in Florida in 2025 and is doing a great job in this recruitment. Getting Taylor back as often as possible is a great early sign.

Taylor is already a consensus four-star by every major recruiting platform. He is ranked as a top 30 nationally recruit by both 247Sports (No. 30) and ESPN (No. 28). Both platforms rate Taylor as the No. 3 safety in the 2025 recruiting class.

The 6-0, 170-pound safety is being courted by some of the top prospects in all of college football. Taylor currently holds offers from the Fighting Irish, Alabama, Michigan, USC, Penn State, Florida, Tennessee, Florida State, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Pittsburgh among several others.

In only nine games as a sophomore, Taylor made his full impact on the back end. He finished the season with 65 total tackles, five tackles for loss, half a sack, three interceptions and eight pass breakups.

TRENDING IN A GOOD DIRECTION

Recruiting is off to a great start with several talented safeties who won't be on campus this month. Here is the short list of playmakers on the back end. 

Trey McNutt - Shaker Heights (Ohio) High School

As things currently stand, it feels like an Ohio State-Notre Dame battle for McNutt. He has already been to South Bend twice over the last couple of months, which is big. They must continue to battle and have definitely made a great early impact.

McNutt has continued to attract several big time programs in his recruitment. Some of his notable offers so far include Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee, USC, Wisconsin, Kentucky, South Carolina, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Penn State, Michigan State, Iowa, Louisville, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Northwestern, Illinois and Purdue among others.

The 5-11, 160-pound athlete made plays on both sides of the ball for Shaker Heights as a sophomore. On defense, he recorded 40 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception and eight pass breakups.

On offense, McNutt totaled 577 yards. He also scored eight touchdowns as well. His play on the field, as well as camp performances, have led to McNutt being rated as a consensus four-star recruit by every major recruiting platform. He ranks highest on the On3 ranking, currently sitting as the No. 60 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class.

Tre’ Harrison - Artesia (Calif.) Junipero Serra

Harrison made the trip to Notre Dame for an evaluation camp and looked great. The staff seems very interested in Harrison, who is a twitched up safety with some nickelback upside. Notre Dame feels like the early leader for the California standout.

So far Notre Dame, Boston College and Colorado State have offered the California native. More promise to follow suit soon.

Harrison finished his sophomore campaign with 23 total tackles. He is also a standout track and field performer for Serra, posting a 10.92 seconds in the 100 meter dash and 22.60 seconds in the 200 meter. Harrison is also a tremendous student, boasting a 4.34 overall GPA.

WORK TO BE DONE

There are a few safeties that Notre Dame has been putting in a tremendous effort for, but there is still work to be done. Here are the safety recruits who fit that description. 

Jordan Young - Monroe (N.C.) High School

When you talk about the elite defensive backs in the 2025 recruiting class, Young should be on the short list. The North Carolina star is very talented, possessing an outstanding combination of ball skills and athleticism.

Notre Dame was able to get Young to visit this off-season, which could pay off in the long run. There’s no question that this is going to be a very tough pull. There is obvious interest but it still seems like a bit of a long shot. Getting Young back on campus soon will be big.

Young is considered a four-star recruit by every major recruiting platform currently. He ranks highest by On3, who has him pegged as the No. 15 overall player and No. 1 safety in the 2025 recruiting class. 247Sports also has Young rated as their top safety in the country.

The 6-0, 165-pound athlete is a two-way star for Monroe as both a safety and wide receiver. On the defensive side of the football, he is coming off of a dominant performance as a sophomore. He finished that campaign with 41 total tackles, eight interceptions and three pass breakups. Young returned those eight interceptions for 212 yards and scored a touchdown. The North Carolina standout also blocked two punts on the season.

On offense, Young was equally as impactful. He led the squad with 1,010 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on just 52 receptions. That is an average of 19.4 yards per reception, once again illustrating his big play potential.

Matai Tagoa’i - Las Vegas (Nev.) Faith Lutheran

The Notre Dame staff loves length and versatility. That’s exactly what Tagoa’i brings to the table. Recently the Nevada native listed Notre Dame, Tennessee and Oklahoma as his top schools.

Tagoa’i has never been on campus. Until he does, the feedback is great but the Irish staff needs to get him to visit. If they do, this will feel legitimate quickly.

Tagoa’i is considered a consensus four-star and near top 200 recruit nationally by every major recruiting platform. He ranks highest on the 247Sports ranking, sitting as the No. 145 overall player and No. 11 safety in the 2025 recruiting class. On3 has him pegged as the No. 2 player in the state of Nevada.

The 6-4, 190-pound defender has a long list of suitors, including some of the premier programs in college football. Some of his notable offers currently include Notre Dame, Georgia, Alabama, USC, Penn State, Oregon, Tennessee, Auburn, UCLA and Ole Miss among others.

As a sophomore, Tagoa’i developed into a dominant force for Faith Lutheran. He finished second on the team with 73 total tackles in 10 games. Tagoa’i also recorded six tackles for loss, an interception, nine pass breakups and recorded two fumbles.

While he only had sporadic chances on offense, Tagoa’i also hauled in seven receptions for 103 yards.

Kendall Daniels - Norfolk (Va.) Maury

Right now, Daniels says all the right things about Notre Dame. There is definitely intrigue but the question is how much. The Irish staff is working diligently to get Daniels on campus but has not done so yet. They need to get him to make the trip to have a chance.

Daniels is considered a four-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals. The latter has him rated the highest, sitting as the No. 165 overall player and No. 15 safety in the 2025 recruiting class. Daniels is also listed as the No. 3 player from the state of Virginia in the class.

There have been a flurry of impressive offers that have been extended to Daniels. Some of his notable offers so far include Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Miami, Penn State, Auburn, South Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Maryland, West Virginia, Boston College and Duke among many others.

The 6-3, 185-pound safety was an absolute difference maker for the 10-2 Maury squad. Their defense was able to hold opponents to 127 points on the season, an average of 10.6 points per contest. That included three shutouts on the season.

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