Notre Dame Misses Out on Key Wide Receiver in Latest Recruiting News

Notre Dame saw a big-time 2026 target choose an ACC foe over the weekend

Nov 5, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney and Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman talk before a game at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

For seemingly as long as recruiting in college football has been a thing, Notre Dame has struggled to bring in big-time wide receivers.

Alright, that's an exaggeration but ever since Charlie Weis was fired following the 2009 season, Notre Dame has had big-time troubles landing its biggest wide receiver targets in recruiting. Sure, there have been some very good ones in that time, but Notre Dame's hit percentage is easily the lowest at wide receiver compared to other positions.

That trend unfortunately didn't change over the weekend either as four-star 2026 wide receiver Connor Salmin of Potomoc, Maryland chose Clemson over Notre Dame and Penn State.

According to 247Sports composite rankings, Salmin ranks as the nation's 31st best receiver in the 2026 cycle. To rub more dirt in Notre Dame's wound, Salmin was also one of two big-time receiving prospects to commit to Clemson over the weekend as fellow-four-star Naeem Burroughs also announced his decision.

Notre Dame's 2026 recruiting class currently has seven commitments and is ranked 10th nationally by the 247Sports composite. Dylan Faison, the younger brohter of current Notre Dame wide receiver Jordan Faison, is the only current wide receiver commitment in the class.

The hope for head coach Marcus Freeman and wide receivers coach Mike Evans is that trend changes soon.

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