In case you missed it, I recently reviewed my way-too-early guess at Notre Dame’s recruiting class of 2023. Now we move on to 2024.
The Irish are currently sitting in a good spot with the 3rd ranked recruiting class in the country and average commit grade of .9260. But, as we found out when I made my prediction last year, it’s a LONG way from March to signing day. Hopefully this cycle can experience some of the same highs we experienced last year with less of the lows.
Let’s get into it.
(Commits are listed in bold.)
OFFENSE
Quarterback
CJ Carr — MI — 6’3″/195 — .9761
CJ Carr is the kind of QB Notre Dame needs to sign if they want to compete for national championships. There’s been some concern since Rees left for Bama about him sticking with his ND commitment, but I’m personally not THAT concerned about it. The Tide already have a 5-star QB committed for 2024, so it’s not like Tommy is going to bring CJ with him. And I’m not particularly worried about any other school coming along and poaching him at this point in time.
Other names to watch: None
Running Back
Aneyas Williams — MO — 5’10″/195 — .9187
Big early pick-up for ND. Williams has the makings of an elite back and his offer list proves it. You’ll love his 247Sports player comparison from Allen Trieu — Kyren Williams.
Kedren Young — TX — 5’10″/220 — .9224
It’s a bit early to make a projection for Notre Dame’s 2nd RB in 2024 with any real confidence, but Notre Dame has placed themselves in good early position with this bruiser out of Texas. He plans on making it up to South Bend for his first visit later in the spring or summer, and we’ll see where things go from there.
Other names to watch: Anthony Carrie (.9317), Darrion Dupree (.8979)
Wide Receiver
Cam Williams — IL — 6’2″/190 — .9819
Much like CJ Carr, Cam Williams is the type of skill player Notre Dame needs to land with some regularity moving forward. Grew up a Michigan fan, but still spurned the Wolverines for the Irish. Gotta love it.
Jeremiah McClellan — MO — 6’0″/190 — .9284
The Irish have one big advantage here in McClellan’s recruitment — he plays for the same 7on7 team as QB commit CJ Carr. This kid is a big want for me, personally. Allen Trieu of 247Sports compares him to former Purdue WR David Bell.
Isiah Canion — GA — 6’3″/190 — .8900
Canion took a visit to Notre Dame in early March, left campus with an offer in hand, and immediately named the Irish as his leader. His recruitment is just getting started, and it sounds like he’s a kid that will see his recruitment blow up over the summer, but the Irish are in excellent shape here early on.
Other names to watch: Bredelle Richardson (.9400), Emmett Mosely (.9235), Kwazi Gilmer (.9106), Josiah Brown (.9305), Jason Robinson (.9098)
Tight End
Jack Larsen — NC — 6’3″/220 — .9298
Good athlete for the tight end position, but some have questions about his size at this point in time. If his listed height of 6’3″ is accurate (and I’m assuming it is since the ND staff has seen him in person multiple times) I wouldn’t be too concerned about it.
Carter Nelson — NE — 6’4″/205 — .9305
Everyone in CFB is looking for the next Brock Bowers, and some think Carter Nelson is that guy. He’s certainly undersized for a tight end right now, but so was (and is) Bowers of course. He has faster track times than a good number of receivers with a 11.05 100-meter dash. I’m really interested in seeing what kind of verified testing numbers he can put together this summer.
Other names to watch: Jaden Reddell (.9439)
Offensive Line
Peter Jones — PA — 6’5″/290 — .9151
One of the earlier commits this cycle will be a big body for the interior at Notre Dame. He’ll likely add 20-30 pounds and settle in at guard. It’ll be interesting to see how things end up at OL this cycle with Joe Rudolph taking point recruiting the position rather than the now-retired Harry Hiestand. It’s good to have a quality player in the fold already to help lay the groundwork.
Styles Prescod — IN — 6’6″/280 — .9042
There’s been some trouble this cycle finding in-state kids that qualify for Notre Dame academically. Prescod is, thankfully, not one of those guys having an issue in that department. The Irish need a couple of tackles badly this cycle, and they feel they’ve found one of the best in the country just a few hours from South Bend.
Guerby Lambert — MA — 6’6″/280 — .9725
Lambert’s recruitment has been very quiet, but he’s a top-of-the-board guy for Notre Dame and supposedly a tremendous fit for the program. He’s also the (now former) teammate of 2023 Irish signee Boubacar Traore, which should help.
Other names to watch: Andrew Sprague (.9244), Grant Brix (.9160), Liam Andrews (.9471), Caleb Brewer (.8793)
DEFENSE
Defensive Line
Owen Wafle — NJ — 6’3″/290 — .9011
The first defensive lineman in the fold for Notre Dame is a big-bodied kid destined for the interior. Right now everyone is assuming he’ll be a DT but I think there’s a decent chance he grows into a NT as well.
TJ Lindsey — AR — 6’4″/275 — .8900
I’m really not sure what the recruiting sites aren’t seeing at this point with TJ Lindsey. His offer list is just about as good as it gets, so coaching staffs across the country see a difference-maker in him. Could potentially play strong-side end, but there’s also a chance he plays DT as well.
Jerod Smith — CT — 6’3″/265 — .9280
Notre Dame is targeting a pair of blue-chip twins out of Connecticut in the 2024 cycle and they look to have a big lead for both of them right now. Much like the Ademilolas, the Smith twins possess differing body types and skillsets. Jerod is the bulkier, stronger of the two and will likely grow into playing DT.
Jacob Smith — CT — 6’5″/225 — .9415
While Jerod Smith is the stouter and stronger of the two Smith brothers, Jacob is the lengthier brother with more quick-twitch athleticism. He would fit into the Vyper position at Notre Dame.
Bryce Young — NC — 6’5″/240 — .8991
We’ve got a legacy! Bryce is the son of Notre Dame great Bryant Young. Notre Dame looks to have a significant lead in this recruitment and I’m guessing things get wrapped up before the summer ends. He possesses an ideal frame for strong-side end.
Cameron Clark — TN — 6’4″/225 — .8752
Another Vyper target for the Irish. Out of the defensive linemen I’ve projected to sign with Notre Dame, I probably feel the least confident in Clark. Not for lack of interest on his part — on the contrary, he named Notre Dame his leader following a visit in early March — but Notre Dame is in on a TON of defensive linemen this cycle and I’m not sure how the numbers will shake out or what the pecking order is for the staff. I think Clark would be a good pickup regardless.
Other names to watch: Justin Scott (.9909), Elijah Rushing (.9900), Marquise Lightfoot (.9467), Loghan Thomas (.9247), Anelu Lafaele (.8859), Jordan Thomas (.9376)
Linebacker
Bodie Kahoun — VA — 6’2″/215 — .8900
A relatively unknown prospect a few months ago, Bodie’s recruitment started to blow up in a big way around mid-January when he received his first offer from Virginia Tech. Despite the timeline of how things really just started to kick off for him, he’s still looking to make a decision relatively soon after he finishes a tour of about 10 unofficial visits that started at the beginning of March and will end in mid-late April. He’s set to visit Notre Dame this week, so we’ll know quickly exactly how he feels about ND (and vice versa) very soon.
Cole Sullivan — PA — 6’3″/200 — .8739
Months back, Cole’s teammate Anthony Speca was looking like one of the top targets for Notre Dame at linebacker. After their junior season, however, things shifted for some of the schools evaluating both players and Sullivan’s stock started to rise among coaching staffs. The Irish will get Cole on campus at the end of March and I would not be shocked if they take a big lead for him afterwards.
Other names to watch: Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (.9542), Kristopher Jones (.9454), Payton Pierce (.9356)
Defensive Back
Karson Hobbs — OH — 6’1″/180 — .8826
Hobbs is probably the firmest, most lock-down commitment in this class right now. He grew up a huge Notre Dame fan and considers it his dream school. He’s risen quite a bit in the rankings over the last few months and probably rises even more if he attends camps this summer.
Leonard Moore — TX — 6’2″/175 — .9030
Notre Dame hasn’t had a ton of luck with kids named Moore over the past few cycles — maybe that’ll change in 2024? Adding Leonard Moore into the fold gives the Irish a really good duo of cornerbacks early on in the cycle. The ND staff is reportedly SUPER high on this kid. They genuinely believe he’s one of the best corners in the country.
Jon Mitchell — FL — 6’0″/160 — .9092
One more corner for the projection. Notre Dame has positioned themselves as the leader for him at this point but his recruitment isn’t over yet. He’s set to visit Notre Dame on March 25th and the Irish will be looking to widen the gap.
Marquis Gallegos — CA — 6’1″/175 — .9155
Tough to say if this is too much of a projection at this point, but by all reports Gallegos is extremely interested in Notre Dame and he’s viewed as an ideal fit. The Irish are pushing very hard here for the free safety. We’ll probably find out if this projection is a good one or not after he makes it back to campus within the next few months.
Kennedy Urlacher — AZ — 6’1″/180 — .8726
The last name is surely going to ring a bell for just about everyone who reads this site. Kennedy’s father is Pro Football Hall of Famer and Chicago Bear legend Brian Urlacher. The Irish are in a really good spot for the hard-hitting safety but he has yet to take any visits at this point. He’ll be in South Bend on April 15th.
Davis Andrews — UT — 6’2″/190 — .8585
Andrews is a strong safety prospect who could even play Rover depending on how he continues to grow. Notre Dame is currently in a battle with Utah and Stanford here, with a visit on the horizon for the Blue-Gold Game. My guess is that the visit ends up being a big one for him.
Other names to watch: Kaleb Beasley (.9374), Jaylen McClain (.9159), Brauntae Johnson (.9496), Kingston Lopa (.8756)
FINAL THOUGHTS
I’m definitely more bearish in my prediction for the 2024 cycle compared to the 2023 cycle last year. Recruiting morale was sky-high this time last year and its come back down to Earth a bit after multiple kicks to the daddy bags to end the 2023 cycle. Not to say this projection wouldn’t be a very good class, though! If the rankings didn’t change from today (they will), it would actually have a total score slightly higher in the 247Composite than the 2023 class did after the recent loss of Brandyn Hillman. And the 2023 class was arguably the best haul for Notre Dame since 2013.
Now, despite having one of the top classes in the country, things are a little behind schedule on where we expected them to be (and where Coach Freeman probably hoped they’d be) after so much time was spent on filling vacant coaching positions last month. It’s made this prediction particularly difficult to put together, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up with a lower hit rate this cycle.
Here we go again
I was wondering as I started reading where you’d have Justin Scott. Has he gone from commit watch to probably unlikely? He did just schedule a visit but has others scheduled too. Back around the holidays he was considered a must get.
From what I saw on Scott he likes Notre Dame but still wants to check out Georgia with a visit this spring. The pay site info I saw framed it like ND is in an OK spot, but a lot hinges on how the trip goes and it wouldn’t be shocking if he commits to UGA during/after it. But if he doesn’t, ND stays alive (at least for a little).
Sadly, I would agree with Tyler’s outlook that Scott is probably trending away and has too high a profile at too key of a position to not go to a powerhouse that routinely turns out that type of pro like Georgia does these days.
He set a commitment date seemingly out of nowhere back in January and then once he got the offer he wanted from Georgia he decides to hold off. I’m just skeptical.
I don’t know if I’d call him a “must get” based on what I’ve heard, but he has a body type that Notre Dame hasn’t landed in a long time along the DL. I would certainly welcome him into the class if he wanted in.
Call him what you like. Top 30 (247 comp.) Chicago kid, with interest at a position ND struggles at recruiting. There is some debate on his ceiling but, ND doesn’t land many 6’4″ 310 lb. DTs. He was considered a heavy ND lean, 2 months ago. This would be a big loss for ND as there aren’t many possible 2nd options near his ranking.
He’s more or less a bigger version of Keeley with a more favorable hometown. If ND was truly at championship level they would be getting both those guys and some of their peers. Not quite at that level with the current landscape where 5-stars tend to only end up at a select, limited number of certain schools (and Notre Dame isn’t one of them).
Ya, so a “must get” type is if you want a legit shot at a NC. You’d think being from near SB would give ND a better shot, thus making him a more crucial recruit.
Those other schools get a one or two guys like Scott every year.
I wouldn’t be so certain Scott keeps his current ranking over the next 8 months.
“There is some debate on his ceiling”
Wherever he winds up in the rankings, let’s hope ND gets someone of that caliber. Being #11 in the composite makes it much more likely he goes down than up.
Definitely seems to be a more bearish outlook this cycle. Is Freeman shopping down a different aisle and looking for traits this year? j/k
In reality, though, this year seems different than last year at this time. Last year we were all dreaming of a top 3 class with a few 5 stars. This year it seems most people are taking some of the early commits like Carr and Cam for granted, but there also seems to be much less enthusiasm on different website boards along with a resignation that 5 star players are not realistic for ND
So the ceiling for this years class doesn’t seem as high as last years but, isn’t the key making sure that in the end the floor is no lower ? (top 10ish)
Don’t think Mosley will end up Irish? Is he trending somewhere else? I was hoping a double legacy 4 star would be someone we could lock up. Alas, ND recruiting.
Isn’t Jeremiah McClellan also a former teammate of Jeremiyah Love? Lots of good influence there.
What happened with Wingo? Seemed like he was trending back our way at one point. Anything significant, or just drifting in a different direction?
I considered Mosley early but there hasn’t really been much buzz about ND for him. I’m not even sure if we’re in his top 3.
Yes on McClellan! I had actually forgotten about that.
On Wingo, you can’t really lose to Marshall and Stanford and have a mediocre passing game if you want to land a bona-fide 5-star WR. Hartman could light it up this fall and it’d probably still be too late to undo that damage.
It’s really starting to seem like Carr is the most important ND recruit (while in high school, at least) since… Jimmy Clausen? If he (or Minchey, I suppose) isn’t a big hit, it’s difficult to envision how Freeman takes the program to the next level in the foreseeable future. Even understanding that the absolute class scores are up, we’re still recruiting in the 8-15 range if this projection is any indication.
But, getting the offense really clicking and making this a potential destination for more elite skill players by having an exciting QB could be the thing that really improves recruiting.
We really need Carr (or Minchey or whoever) to be elite, in the worst way.
This is what happens when a program hasn’t fielded an exciting QB since 2015*, and has gone the same length of time without one being stalked up as an early round draft pick.
*Wimbush running was pretty damn exciting, but the throwing was ehhhhhh
Slightly off topic, but are we giving up on Buchner having a high ceiling? If he can stay healthy (and I’m very pessimistic on that) can he be a rich man’s Ian Book at least?
Not sure how to define “we” and “give up”, but personally I would be very surprised if Buchner ends up reaching Book’s level as a QB. But, I guess even I haven’t “given up” on it, inasmuch as I recognize he has tools to be better. I just think odds are he’s closer to Wimbush than Book.
Tough to compare a guy who won’t start until he’s a senior (if he does at all) to the school’s all-time leading winner and long-time start. I get you mean with skill-sets but they’re like apples and pomegranates.
Book’s average season as a starter was 63.8% completion, 2,833 yards passing, 437 yards rushing, 23 passing TD, 6 rushing TD, 5 INT
I’d put Buchner probably under in all the passing, maybe over in the running. In an ideal world, Buchner probably has a higher ceiling with a little bit of a better arm, but Book surely was a smarter player who made way fewer mistakes.
I’d like to see Andrew Sprague commit to ND. Mutual interest. The staff has been to see him multiple times. Sprague has visited twice and will be visiting ND again in the spring. Great offer list. 247 reports his top three are ND, USC, and Michigan. ND v the Big Ten. Athletic. A basketball player too. The comparison between him and Joe Alt is premature. An embarrassment of riches for Rudolph to choose between Sprague, Lambert and Prescod to join Jones.
Apparently, Virginia Tech has chosen Ron Crook as their offensive line coach to replace Rudolph. Crook was Cincinnati’s OLine coach from 2017-21 while Freeman, Denbrook, Mason and Guidugli were there.
Well, we’re already getting closer to reaching our target scholarship numbers for the year. Justin Walters and Philip Riley are both leaving the program, and Will Schweitzer is medically retiring.
Caleb Johnson and kicker Josh Bryan are gone too…And our sweet prince Ron Pawlus III has medically retired.
That’s six so by my (possibly wrong) count, I think that leaves 87 and just two more to go before fall.
Love that ND is getting aggressive with roster management. Only way ND can possibly keep up while not taking undergrad transfers is oversigning and culling the herd even more than other top programs.