Texas Plan Continues To Pay Off For Notre Dame On The Recruiting Trail
No state produced more 2022 NFL Draft picks than Texas, but that's nothing new. Texas has been one of the premier producers of elite college football talent for decades. After years of not putting enough emphasis on recruiting the state, first-year head coach Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame staff have made going into the Longhorn state in search of big time prospects a top priority.
That plan is paying off in a big, big way, and the Irish staff isn't ready to slow down.
It started in January when Denton (Texas) Guyer standout safety Peyton Bowen committed to Notre Dame, becoming the first prospect to commit to Freeman since he took over the head coaching role. Bowen is one of the best defensive players in the country, ranking as the nation's No. 37 overall player according to On3.
Bowen isn't just an elite prospect, he's also one of the nation's best players at a position that was vitally important for Notre Dame in the 2023 class.
Just over four months later the Irish struck gold when Round Rock (Texas) Stony Point wide receiver Braylon James gave his commitment. James is an explosive wideout that ranks as the nation's No. 46 overall player according to ESPN.
Like Bowen, landing James gave the Irish an impact player at a position of great importance in the 2023 class.
Literally six months after Bowen committed to Notre Dame the Irish once again dipped into the Longhorn state for one of its best defensive backs, this time landing a commitment from Houston (Texas) Kinkaid cornerback Micah Bell. The 5-11, 165-pound corner is one of the fastest and most explosive players in the entire country. Bell ranks as the nation's No. 55 overall player according to 247Sports.
Once again, Bell was a dynamic playmaker at a position of need for the Irish.
Notre Dame wasn't done, and two weeks after Bell joined the class arguably the best prep receiver in the state committed. That would be Austin (Texas) Westlake star Jaden Greathouse, who ranks as the No. 69 overall player in the country according to Rivals and as the No. 4 wideout in the country according to ESPN.
Greathouse became commitment number three at wide receiver, giving the Irish staff another must-get player with impact talent at a position of great need.
Four Texas commits, all skill players. All dynamic players that give the Irish a significant boost in talent, athleticism and speed.
That is part of the plan for Notre Dame in Texas. Notre Dame has landed players from Texas in the past, but not the volume of skill talent it has acquired in this class, and not the high level skill talent it is landing in this class.
Consider this, James will be one of Notre Dame's fastest receivers when he shows up next spring after he ran an electronically timed 4.47 in the 40-yard dash this spring. Of the four committed players from Texas, James is only the third fastest. Bowen ran a 4.38 at Notre Dame's camp in the summer of 2021 and Bell is one of the fastest football players in the entire country after having run a 10.4 in the 100-meter dash this spring and a 20.89 in the 200-meter dash.
Notre Dame added a major influx of talent, production and speed. Oh, and all four of those players are also outstanding students.
NOT DONE IN 2023
Notre Dame is hoping to land one more player from the state after it offered Dripping Springs (Texas) High School quarterback Austin Novosad, who is currently committed to Baylor.
The 6-3, 185-pound quarterback is one of the hottest quarterbacks in the country after passing for 3,399 yards and 40 touchdowns as a junior. Ohio State and Texas A&M have been trying to flip him from Baylor and last week the Irish jumped into the mix.
Notre Dame is playing from behind with Novosad and is trying to convince him to get on campus this month. We don't yet know if Novosad will follow through with a visit, and he'll be a tough pull for the Irish, but Notre Dame is making a legitimate run at him.
One thing working in Notre Dame's favor is Novosad's relationship with James and Greathouse, who he has played 7-on-7 with in the past.
KEEP THINGS GOING IN 2024
Notre Dame has already offered nine players from the state of Texas in the 2024 class, and you absolutely expect that to continue to grow over the next year.
Another standout from Denton (Texas) Guyer is cornerback Eli Bowen, the younger brother of Irish commit Peyton Bowen. Notre Dame has offered the younger Bowen and he's another talented athlete the Irish staff would like to add to the class.
Notre Dame wants and needs more explosive playmakers at wide receiver, and arguably the most dynamic pass catcher on the board in the 2023 and 2024 classes is Temple (Texas) Lake Belton star Micah Hudson. The 6-0, 185-pound receiver is incredibly explosive athlete and is a five-star receiver that ranks as the No. 7 player in the class according to Rivals.
Another 2024 priority for the Irish staff is Melissa (Texas) High School defensive tackle Nigel Smith II. The nation's No. 42 overall player (247Sports) has already made two trips to Notre Dame in the past year and is expected to get back on campus for a game this fall.
Notre Dame is also trying to get involved with Waco (Texas) Connally cornerback Kobe Black, the No. 28 player in the country according to On3 and 247Sports. Black has yet to visit Notre Dame but he's shown early interest, and Notre Dame is high on him.
Notre Dame offered Lucas (Texas) Lovejoy linebacker Payton Pierce last month and also offered Allen (Texas) High School defensive end Zina Umeozulu. The Irish are hoping to get more in the mix with both players moving forward.
If the Irish can repeat their 2023 Texas success in the 2024 class the Irish will not only be in competition to land a No. 1 ranked class, Notre Dame will go a long way towards not only closing the gap, but erasing it.
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Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense
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