Notre Dame Is "Shopping Down A Different Aisle" In The Marcus Freeman Era

For the entirety of my adult life, one Notre Dame recruiting narrative has persevered more than any other when it relates to Irish recruiting. Academics.

The prevailing thought has been that Notre Dame has tough classes, even for football players, including needing elite-high test standards for acceptance to the school.

So, landing top recruiting classes is, supposedly, impossible.

Marcus Freeman and his staff are showing that this narrative is outdated and inaccurate.

The admissions standards issue when it comes to Notre Dame football and recruiting

It would be one thing if this common narrative were one talked about by fans and media outlets, but when the head coach at Notre Dame leans on it to make excuses for non-elite recruiting, it moves the needle.

Brian Kelly's infamous " we are shopping down a different aisle" quote was an attempt for him to lower the standards everyone has regarding what good recruiting classes could look like in South Bend.

Kelly told the country that Irish academic standards meant that Notre Dame was casting a much smaller net for talent than most teams do and that recruiting expectations should be lowered.

He was able to get that talent at LSU, and the results weren't great.

Do the academic restrictions make it harder to recruit the elite at Notre Dame than at most schools? Yes. But that doesn't mean it's impossible, and Freeman is proving that as we speak.

Notre Dame has landed 5 ⭐️ OT Olu Olubobola out of St. Peter’s Prep in New Jersey.

The 6’6” 295 pound OT measured in with an 85 inch wingspan.

A ton of talent.

The Irish beat out Miami, LSU, Tennessee, and many others for his commitment.

Olu to OLU. Just makes sense! pic.twitter.com/8mueuDzR0k
— Notre Dame Recruiting (@NDrecruiting01) May 12, 2026

Marcus Freeman's work ethic has changed the talent acquisition calculation

Marcus Freeman is a relentless worker on the recruiting trail and expects the same from his entire staff. This relentless pursuit to improve is what is driving the modern Irish operation.

Through Freeman's expectation of effort, Notre Dame has been able to truly start "shopping down a different aisle," but in the best way possible.

The Irish are threading the needle by finding elite athletes who can get into and make it through Notre Dame academically, who are also good people in the community.

This is the ultimate sweet spot, and the Irish are reaping the benefits, evidenced by signing a top-five recruiting class last year and are building one for 2027 that could even be better.

It is harder to recruit to Notre Dame than at most major football schools.

That is a fact. But it can't be used as an excuse, but rather as an opportunity.

This difference in mentality from one coach to the next has changed the dynamic in South Bend and set a new standard for what the Irish roster should look like in the modern era.

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