Notre Dame Recruiting: Irish Set To Host Another Group Of Talented Visitors

Previewing Notre Dame's next big unofficial visit weekend

Wide receiver Talyn Taylor / Talyn Taylor

Notre Dame is set to host an impressive list of 2025 and 2026 recruits on campus on Saturday. It will be putting a wrap on yet another week of recruiting. That included 2026 offensive lineman Ben Nichols and defensive end Braeden Jones on Friday. 

Here are the recruits who are set to be in South Bend on Saturday. That includes the latest on where the Irish stand with each. 

WR Talyn Taylor (2025) - Geneva (Ill.) Community 

It seems like Taylor has been on the Notre Dame board for forever, taking his fifth visit to campus on South Bend. Due to his geographic location and clear interest in the Irish, there seems to be the feeling that this one is trending away. The talented pass catcher isn’t in a rush to make a decision and Georgia is the team recently that seems to be mentioned most. Notre Dame is also recruiting a couple other pass catchers at a high level so it’s unclear how realistic Taylor may be in the end. There will undoubtedly be more clarity on the fit after this visit. 

WR Tanook Hines (2025) - Houston (Texas) Dekaney

Hines isn’t a player who has been talked about in Notre Dame circles much but brings big time speed and playmaking potential to the games. He was offered back in December by the Irish but there hasn’t been a ton of momentum since then. While Hines isn’t considered a top of the priority list at wide receiver for Notre Dame, it will be interesting to see how things develop after the visit. 

S Trey McNutt (2025) - Cleveland (Ohio) Shaker Heights 

Notre Dame has done a tremendous job with McNutt, who is set to make his fourth trip to campus. They are among his leaders but are still playing from behind. It’s unlikely that he ends up with the Irish but that certainly isn’t deterring the staff from pursuing him. With a good visit, they have a chance to be in it until the end. Barring something unforeseen, it appears McNutt is destined to stay in the Buckeye State. 

WR Devin Carter (2026) - Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove 

When you talk about the top wide receivers in the 2026 recruiting class, there may not be one better than Carter. There’s a reason why schools like Notre Dame, Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, USC, Florida, Florida State and Penn State among many others. Getting a pass catcher of this caliber to South Bend so early is very notable, giving Notre Dame a chance to make an impact and passing impression. 

OL Tyler Merrill (2026) - Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Cumberland Valley 

When you talk about physically imposing offensive lineman in the 2026 recruiting class, there aren’t many better than Merrill. He is being pursued by some of the best offensive line producers in all of college football like the Irish, Michigan, Alabama and Wisconsin. This will be Merrill’s first trip to campus, which gives Notre Dame the chance to set the tone in this recruitment. 

LB Colson Gatten (2026) - Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic 

Notre Dame has made an impact in Central Catholic in the past, including with the Hinish brothers. Gatten is a physical linebacker who does a lot of things for his team. This will actually be the Pittsburgh natives third trip to South Bend, coming last offseason and for their battle against Pitt this past season. Gatten now has a chance to experience everything with an official offer from the program. 

LB Kenneth Goodwin (2026) - Las Vegas (Nev.) Desert Pines 

For the first time, Notre Dame will be hosting Goodwin on campus this weekend. He has said a lot of great things about the program so far and a great visit could create some tremendous early momentum. The Nevada native already boasts some really impressive offers, including Georgia, Ohio State and Texas A&M among a long list of others. 

OL Max Riley (2026) - Avon Lake (Ohio) High School 

As of now, Notre Dame has only extended offers to eight offensive lineman in the 2026 recruiting class. Getting Riley on campus without an offer is a great sign for that relationship developing quickly. The 6-5, 265-pound offensive tackle has already earned offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Florida State, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Penn State and Wisconsin among others. Notre Dame never has any problem recruiting or developing the offensive line, which is a big sell for prospective recruits like Riley. 

DL Garrett Witherington (2026) - Birmingham (Al.) Briarwood Christian 

The Alabama native is definitely someone the Irish staff is keeping a close eye on, although he does not currently have an offer from Notre Dame. His offer list isn’t anything special yet but the combination of length and explosiveness is a lot to work with. It’ll be interesting if Notre Dame makes a move with Witherington and offers this weekend. In a lot of ways, his skill set is very similar to 2025 Notre Dame commit Joseph Reiff.

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