Notre Dame Locked in Tight Cornerback Battle with Two Midwest Powers

Notre Dame is in a heated race with a pair of Big Ten powers for a top cornerback

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Christian Gray (29) intercepts the ball in front of Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Omari Evans (5) in the second half in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Notre Dame, Michigan, and Penn State.

Those three teams carry a ton of college football tradition and are currently all set up to make serious runs at the national championship in the years to come. They're also competing hard against one-another for Virginia cornerback Jaziel Hart.

Hart's recruiting rankings might not jump off the page at you but the fact Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State are in such hot pursuit considering how each has developed cornerbacks in recent years should tell you how he's videwed as a prospect. Add in that Ohio State has been rumored to be interested despite not yet offering and you understand that his three-star recruiting ranking might be worthy of more excitement than three-stars tend to receive.

Michigan, Notre Dame and Penn State are in a close battle for On3 4-star CB Jaziel Hart, @ChadSimmons_ reports👀

“All three stand out to me a lot.”

Read: https://t.co/hIoDkzbq0g pic.twitter.com/DXn3Nmb644

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) April 7, 2025

Hart recently shared with On3 of Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State: "All three stand out to me a lot."

Hart checks in at 6-0, 169-pounds and hails from Roanoke, Virginia. As a high school junior, he recorded 10 pass breakups and six interceptions.

Not to say Notre Dame is the favorite here by any means, but a quick look at what Fighting Irish secondary coach Mike Mickens has been able to do in helping develop former three-star prospects Benjamin Morrison and Leonard Moore, and it's easy to see what Notre Dame has to offer.