Notre Dame's Weekend Off to a Hot Start with New Recruiting Developments

Notre Dame enters this weekend looking to make it a fourth-straight victory, as it welcomes NC State (4-2) to town. The Irish have to have this one, and the six other remaining games in order to have a chance at returning to the College Football Playoff, but by late Friday night, Marcus Freeman and company had received positive news about the future of the program.

It didn't come in the form of any recruiting commitments, but it did show up on the recruiting front for Notre Dame, as it comes at the expense of a recruiting rival regarding the 2027 cycle.

How Penn State's Losses Could be Notre Dame's Gains

Penn State head coach James Franklin after losing to Oregon in 202 — Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin and quarterback Drew Allar (15) react after losing to the Oregon Ducks at Beaver Stadium. | James Lang-Imagn Images

Last week, we shared with you a few Notre Dame fans who took time to celebrate Penn State's massive upset loss at UCLA. In that piece I mentioned the Cold War-type rivalry Notre Dame and Penn State are having, as there are no regular-season games scheduled between the two, but last year's epic Orange Bowl, coupled with recruiting battles, keep the two towards the front of each other's minds regularly.

After falling at UCLA last week and almost certainly seeing its chances of the College Football Playoff exit the building, Penn State paid for it in recruiting on Friday. One prized commitment officially withdrew his commitment, while the nation's top running back declared that Penn State is no longer 100% in his recruitment.

Notre Dame appears to have more than just a slight chance at landing one, if not both prized prospects.

Elite Offensive Commitments Waver on Penn State Pledges

Friday was the day rent became due for James Franklin and Penn State in recruiting and it was unable to be paid. Star wide receiver Khalil Tate officially withdrew his pledge from Penn State, after committing back in March.

Taylor checks in at 5-11, 180 pounds and hails from Pittsburgh (Pine-Richland), Pennsylvania. He comes with a four-star ranking from the majority of recruiting outlets and ranks as the nation's seventh-best receiver in the 2027 recruiting cycle according to Rivals.

BREAKING: Elite 2027 WR Khalil Taylor has Decommitted from Penn State, he tells me for @rivals

The 5’11 185 WR from Pittsburgh, PA had been Committed to the Nittany Lions since March

He’s ranked as a Top 32 Recruit in the ‘27 Class (per Rivals)https://t.co/QhCvgldTUu pic.twitter.com/NKxnGyfX2h
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 10, 2025

The Taylor news came Friday morning, but by Friday night things went from bad to worse for Penn State.

Five-star running back Kemon Spell of McKeesport, Pennsylvania is rated as the nation's top running back and eighth overall player in the cycle according to Rivals. Spell has been committed to Penn State since August of 2024, but on Friday night, declared that he's no longer fully set on the Nittany Lions.

2027 Penn State Commit 5⭐️RB Kemon Spell says “I’m not 100% with Penn State anymore. I will be taking visits and we’ll see from there”

(Via @KBarnes_PG)

pic.twitter.com/h4LXrZ0Nh8
— LandonTengwall (@LandonTengwall) October 11, 2025

Examining Notre Dame's Chances:

I'm not going to pretend to be connected to either of these high school stars, but if you're Notre Dame, you have to like your chances for both. That's not to say Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish are favorites by any means, but in the case of Spell, Notre Dame running backs coach Ju'Juan Seider is who originally recruited him to Penn State. Couple that with Notre Dame's running back successes so far in 2025, and it can't be a bad thing for the Irish.

As for Taylor, he has three visits already lined up, but Notre Dame isn't included in that. The good news for Notre Dame is that there appeared to be some interest between the two previously, and CJ Carr elevating the Fighting Irish passing game has to be of interest to some of the nation's better wide receiver recruits.