Notre Dame Looking To Make Impact In Texas For Second Straight Year
It was incredibly important for Notre Dame to have a deeper impact in the state of Texas and Marcus Freeman and his staff did just that in the 2023 recruiting class. The staff landed four commitments in that class, including wide receivers Jaden Greathouse, Braylon James and Kaleb Smith, as well as cornerback Micah Bell. Notre Dame wasn’t just able to land solid players either, they landed legitimate difference making athletes from the Lone Star State.
Those four commitments in 2023 were more than the Irish have landed in the previous five recruiting classes combined (three total). There was clearly an emphasis to impact the state but creating a pipeline does not happen after one year.
Notre Dame must now have another big cycle in 2024 to really make an impact moving forward. One time can be fluke. Doing it again can be a statement.
HISTORY IN TEXAS
That absence before Coach Freeman took over was especially troubling. When you look at the history of Notre Dame’s imprint in the state, it has never been a high volume approach - and it wouldn’t be realistic to assume that it could.
It is, however, an impactful area that the Irish must tap into more moving forward. When the program has had success in Texas in the past, it has been substantial.
You are going to see names like quarterback Carlyle Holiday, running back Charlie Flanagan, wide receiver Tim Brown and David Givens, tight ends Durham Smythe and Brock Wright, offensive tackle Jordan Black, defensive lineman Bertrand Berry and Kapron Lewis-Moore, defensive backs Bobby Taylor, Vontez Duff and Gerome Sapp, punter Hunter Smith and premier return specialist Allen Rossum.
There are a lot of former NFL players on that list, not to mention all were standout players on the college level. The elephant in the room is that there aren’t a ton of recent names on it. That has to change.
EARLY IMPACT WITH LEONARD MOORE
Notre Dame has already made an impact so far in Texas in the 2024 recruiting class. They received an early commitment from Round Rock (Texas) High School cornerback Leonard Moore.
There were some naysayers when the Irish originally received his commitment, citing three-star rankings as the cause for concern. Since then, Moore has vaulted up to the No. 153 overall player and No. 20 cornerback in the 2024 recruiting class according to Rivals. He now sits as a four-star recruit on the 247Sports Composite ranking.
The moral of the story: recruiting rankings are subjective, can change, and will change. Trust the tape.
AREA STRENGTH
Discussing the area of strengths for Texas can quickly become more of a listing of all the elite talent across the board at most positions. There is a reason that the Lone Star State is considered one of the top developers of football talent across every state. Quite simply, if you want great football players, Texas has you covered historically.
For Notre Dame’s needs specifically in 2024, the defensive side of the football looks the most pertinent so far. There will be a high quality wide receiver target mixed in, as well a running back, but for the most part the front seven seems like the bread and butter for this cycle.
There is an embarrassment of riches from the linebacker and defensive line classes in the 2024 class. It is loaded up front, bringing a flurry of twitchy edge rushers and talented interior defensive lineman. The linebacker position is also one that is extremely well represented this cycle. If you are looking for length, athleticism and versatility, this linebacker group has you covered.
KEY 2023 TARGETS
One of the bigger names on the board is Lucas (Texas) Lovejoy linebacker Payton Pierce. He is also a player that Notre Dame has been in the best position with recently outside of Moore, feeling extremely good with their standing after he visited for Junior Day.
The issue is that the main Notre Dame staff member who was having the biggest impact on Pierce was former graduate assistant James Laurinaitis, who left to return to his alma mater Ohio State Buckeyes this off-season. Without Laurinaitis, it becomes less optimistic whether the Irish staff can close this one out.
There isn’t much question that Pierce has a high affinity for Notre Dame and should still be looked at as one of the front runners, but the Irish have faded since Laurinaitis departed. It’s now up to the rest of the defensive staff to recapture that momentum and close on the Texas star.
One of the more intriguing names on the board is Katy (Texas) Paetow pass rusher Loghan Thomas. Semi raw at this point, the 6-3, 210-pound defensive end is one of the more gifted pass rushers in the 2024 class.
There is a massive need for Notre Dame to find some answers to the Vyper position in 2024. Thomas is an intriguing fit and a player worth monitoring for Irish fans.
A player that Notre Dame seemed to be in a solid position early on was Melissa (Texas) High School standout Nigel Smith, who is a potentially elite defensive lineman from several alignments. The program has managed to get him on campus multiple times but has lost momentum over the last several months.
If the Irish staff is not able to get Smith on campus again this spring or summer; there doesn’t appear to be much hope for this one. There are a lot of big time schools courting him and will need to flip momentum quickly.
Notre Dame will also continue to recruit Temple (Texas) Lake Belton pass catcher Micah Hudson but there shouldn’t be much expectation there. Wide receiver Coach Chansi Stuckey made a tremendous impact with Texas wide receivers in 2023 but Hudson would be a landing for the ages.
The Irish staff also received a nice early commitment from Hannibal (Mo.) High School running back Aneyas Williams, who is one of the better all-around weapons in the 2024 class. It remains uncertain whether the staff will push for a second running back. If they do, there are several talented runners on the board worth keeping a close eye on.
One of the more interesting names on the board is Decatur (Texas) High School running back Nathaniel Palmer, who has been on Notre Dame’s radar for some time now. The 5-11, 180-pound running back is a tough runner who brings some outstanding contact balance to the table.
It will be interesting to see if Notre Dame does push for a second running back, and how much Palmer is a part of that equation.
NEW TO THE BOARD
There has been a flurry of recent Notre Dame offers over the last few weeks. That includes a few very talented players in the state of Texas.
Those recent offers mostly come on the defensive side of the football, specifically at linebacker among the Lone Star State targets. One of the more gifted defenders in the country is Conroe (Texas) Oak Ridge star defender Justin Williams.
The 6-2, 190-pound linebacker is being pursued by some of the top programs in all of college football. It is too early to tell just how much traction Notre Dame have with Williams but it is still great to see that they aren’t afraid to compete with other great programs for top talent.
Williams’ teammate, defensive lineman Joseph Jonah-Ajonye is another talented defender that is on the Irish radar recently. The 6-4, 235-pound pass rusher is yet another talented edge defender with substantial upside. There is some interest in taking a visit to South Bend over the next several months.
Jasper (Texas) High School linebacker Tyanthony Smith is yet another standout defender who was recently added to the board for the Irish. The next few months will also be another opportunity to see how much the fit makes sense, and if there is any traction moving forward.
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2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense
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