Notre Dame Visit Was "Different" For Cornerback RJ Sermons Jr.

Notre Dame made a strong first impression on talented 2026 cornerback RJ Sermons Jr.

Notre Dame has made a habit of recruiting the sons of former notable football players. That doesn’t appear to be changing in 2026. One example who visited this weekend was Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) High School cornerback Rodney “RJ” Sermons Jr., whose father played running back for the USC Trojans from 1994-97. 

Most Irish fans will see that, and lose any level of optimism. Surely a USC legacy wouldn’t give Notre Dame a legitimate look, right? That certainly wasn’t the vibes coming from Sermons’ first trip to South Bend. 

“It was my first time visiting and it went great,” Sermons told Irish Breakdown. “One of my favorite parts was the practice and being able to watch the defenses intensity and how they fly around.” 

The Notre Dame coaches came off authentic, which definitely impressed the talented defensive back. It’s something that Sermons values greatly, relationships. 

“The conversations between the coaches were good,” he said. “They taught me some valuable things and were honest and real, which I liked a lot.”

Coming into the visit, nobody knew what to expect. Coming out of it, Sermons appears to be very high on the Irish. There is a unique vibe that the program brings and he felt that. From the school, to football, and everything in between, it appears to be a clear fit. 

“The school is just different, and I like it and what it has to offer beyond football,” Sermons explained. “I would see myself potentially fitting well as a high level cornerback. 

“We haven’t gotten into anything scheme wise much but Coach (Mike) Mickens has had a lot of young defensive backs play and do well,” he continued. “The life after football really stood out to me most.” 

Sermons is rated as a four-star recruit by both the On3 and On3 Industry ranking. The former has him pegged as the No. 18 overall player and No. 2 cornerback in the 2026 recruiting class. He also sits as the No. 3 player in the state of California on that ranking. 

Outstanding programs from all over college football have shown high interest in Sermons. Some of his top offers so far include the Fighting Irish, Alabama, USC, Oregon, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Michigan State, Washington, Utah, Louisville, Arizona, Colorado, Syracuse and Arizona State among several others. 

As a sophomore, Sermons was tremendous for the Cougars. In 12 games, the 6-0, 180-pound cornerback collected 46 total tackles, one interception and five pass breakups. Sermons also had a forced fumble and recovered another fumble on the season. 

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