What's Next: Notre Dame Can Now Focus On Loaded 2025 Linebacker Class

Previewing top linebackers on the 2025 board for Notre Dame

With the recent commitment of elite 2024 linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa on Sunday, Notre Dame now has their three-man linebacker class for the cycle and solidifies another impressive group for the third straight year. This allows the Irish staff to now focus on the 2025 group of linebackers, which appears like a fantastic group early on.

The words long, explosive and versatile seem to be the most recurring words when describing the group. While the process wasn’t perfect in the 2024 class while recruiting linebackers, it does appear that Notre Dame is in a nice spot with several standout performers in 2025. It has a chance to be another great haul.

WHO HAS ALREADY VISITED?

Notre Dame has already had several talented 2025 linebackers who have made the travels to South Bend. Let’s take a look at some of the key names to know.

Noah Mikhail - La Verne (Calif.) Bonita

When Mikhail was originally offered last year, he immediately called Notre Dame his “dream school.” They had early momentum but are going to need to battle some of the heavyweights in college football. Mikhail brings a massive frame with eye popping explosiveness to get downhill.

Anthony Sacca - Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph’s Prep

There isn’t a more natural rover on the board than Sacca, who plays safety for St. Joseph’s Prep. At 6-3 and 225 pounds, he has the size to play in the box and the athleticism to play in space. His father, Tony Sacca, is a college teammate of Al Golden at Penn State and has been a big help to that relationship early on.

Madden Faraimo - San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) J Serra Catholic

There may not be a more physically imposing presence on the board than Faraimo. With Notre Dame’s recent success in California, Faraimo could be the next in line. He plays, and has the look of a college football player already. Getting Faraimo on campus again will be big for the Irish, who are in a surprisingly good spot early on.

Dominik Hulak - Elmhurst (Ill.) Immaculate Conception

Right in Notre Dame’s backyard, Hulak is very high on the Irish so far. He has been to campus multiple times, and will be back on July 30th for the recruiting cookout. He brings impressive size at 6-3 and 230 plus pounds already. Hulak might fit best as a rover down the road, which he played a little bit when he camped at Notre Dame last month.

Brett Clatterbaugh - Culpeper (Va.) Eastern View

There may not be a more underrated linebacker on the board than Clatterbaugh, who brings a long frame and really nice athleticism to the table. He made the trip to campus this spring and the Irish staff is working to get him back for a game this fall.

Landon McComber - Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman

Another impressive rover on the board, McComber opted to transfer to Bishop Gorman this off-season. McComber is very high on the Irish already. He is an extremely smooth player who thrives in space. Notre Dame is arguably the front runner for him so far, although he’s in no rush to make a decision.

Carlton Smith - Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy

Doubling as a dynamic running back for St. Frances Academy, Smith is one of the more explosive athletes on the board. Notre Dame is working desperately to get into St. Frances Academy in 2025, boasting just an absurd amount of defensive talent at the program.

Josiah Kia - Honolulu (Hawaii) Punahou

The younger brother of 2021 linebacker signee Kahanu Kia, Josiah is another super smooth linebacker who could project well at rover early on in his career. He has been on campus in the past for his brother but is eyeing a return as a recruit. Kia is very high on Notre Dame early on.

OTHER TOP NAMES ON THE BOARD

Here are some of the more notable members on the board. Each one of these players have demonstrated interest in Notre Dame, or talked about visiting in the future.

Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng - Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

The younger brother of former Irish star Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Owusu-Boateng made the move to IMG Academy this off-season after starring for DeMatha Catholic previously. He already listed Notre Dame as one of his leaders along with the Florida powers. Getting him on campus is a priority.

Justin Hill - Cincinnati (Ohio) Winston Woods

There’s a very good chance that Hill ends up as a rover long term, boasting an incredibly long frame and continuing to grow. The 6-4, 215-pound athlete is going to be a tough pull out of Ohio with the Buckeyes pursuing heavily but Notre Dame is ready to battle.

Christian Jones - Omaha (Neb.) Westside

Jones is the teammate of 2024 Notre Dame linebacker commit Teddy Rezac. Even though Jones hasn’t been to campus yet, the Irish program is in a very good spot. The 6-3, 215-pound linebacker is another example of an impressive blend of size, length and athleticism.

Elijah Barnes - Dallas (Texas) Skyline

Despite playing for a struggling Skyline squad, Barnes stands out immediately. He is an absolute stud on the field, boasting some absurd movement skills for the position. Barnes says all the right things about Notre Dame but he is being pursued by a long list of impressive schools. The staff will need to get him to campus to have a realistic shot.

Gavin Nix - Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

From the sounds of it, Nix is very high on Notre Dame. Even before he held an offer from the Irish, they were a school that he wanted to hear from. It will be interesting to see how that relationship develops moving forward.

Keylan Moses - Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab

Moses is the teammate of 2023 Notre Dame signee Jaiden Ausberry and the two have a great relationship. That doesn’t always mean that the fit will be best for Moses. He is a player that the staff is staying in touch with but looks like a potentially tough pull out of Louisiana, but not impossible.

OTHERS ON THE BOARD

Here is the rest of the board for Notre Dame. These players remain question marks in terms of interest level. Some have also had limited contact with the staff so far.

Kamar Archie - Princeton (N.J.) The Hun School

Marquise Davis - Cleveland (Ohio) Heights

Bo Jackson - Cleveland (Ohio) Villa Angela-St. Joseph

Marco Jones - Danville (Calif.) San Ramon Valley

Riley Pettijohn - McKinney (Texas) HS

Ethan Pritchard - Sanford (Fla.) Seminole

Kelvion Riggins - Dallas (Texas) South Oak Cliff

Abduall Sanders Jr. - Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei

Jayden Shelton - Dallas (Texas) South Oak Cliff

Zayden Walker - Ellaville (Ga.) Schley County

Anthony Williams - Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek

Nasir Wyatt - Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei

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Irish Breakdown Content

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Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

2024 Commit Rankings - Offense
2024 Commit Rankings - Defense

2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

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