Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM FEBRUARY 2024 33 FOOTBALL RECRUITING uate student Jack Kiser, but Freeman thinks Viliamu-Asa will come in and immediately contend for a spot on the Irish's top unit. "He's probably the most, I would say, right now, college-ready recruit we have physically, mentally," Freeman said. "He comes from an unbelievable program in St. Bosco. He's so mature." Viliamu-Asa is the type of blue chip signee who can play right away. There's no question. The Alabamas and Georgias of college football rinse and repeat with defensive stalwarts like him every year. On the topic of blue chips — four- or five-star signees — only 57 percent of Notre Dame's class of 2024 meet the threshold. That's down from 78 percent in 2023 and is the program's lowest fig- ure since 48 percent in 2021. Williams was Notre Dame's only five- star signee. The Irish signed 12 four- stars, seven fewer than they got last year. Still, only nine programs secured more four-star signees. It's almost the same list of teams ahead of Notre Dame in the overall rankings, subbing out Ohio State, Auburn and Miami and swapping in Michigan, Florida State and Penn State. Michigan made it to the national title game and only checked in at No. 16 in the On3 Team Rankings. Florida State went 13-0 through conference cham- pionship weekend and finished No. 11 in the team rankings, one slot behind Notre Dame. The Irish, of course, went 10-3. They had a ton of recruits on campus to watch them lose to Ohio State in demoraliz- ing fashion. Road losses to Louisville and Clemson weren't great looks for the pro- gram either. And yet, Notre Dame has not missed a beat on the recruiting trail. It's going to be difficult to keep pace with the SEC powerhouses in the era of name, image and likeness (NIL) but Free- man did not paint paying players in a neg- ative light in his signing day press confer- ence. He said Friends of the University of Notre Dame (FUND) is doing all it can to keep the Irish in the top 10 long-term. "Our collective in FUND has been tre- mendous," Freeman said. "They've been committed to making sure that this foot- ball program and this university can keep competing for championships." If Michigan can do it with the Nos. 16 and 18 classes in the last two cycles and the same with Washington, to an even greater degree, at Nos. 27 and No. 30, Notre Dame can definitely do it with back-to-back appearances at No. 10. "I always say this, the core founda- tion of our program will still be built off high school recruiting," Freeman said. "I know the transfer portal is a new thing with college football. We're going to address specific needs in the transfer portal. But our foundation of this foot- ball program will always be addressed through high school recruiting." ✦ NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL 2024 SIGNEES Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Taebron Bennie-Powell S 6-1 185 Cincinnati (Lakota West) Named first-team All-Southwest Ohio and first-team all-conference as a senior CJ Carr* QB 6-2½ 195 Saline, Mich. (Saline) Selected to participate in the All-American Bowl after his senior campaign Micah Gilbert* WR 6-2 205 Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Christian) Tabbed first-team all-state and as a Charlotte Observer All-Star as a senior Karson Hobbs CB 6-1 180 Cincinnati (Archbishop Moeller) Named first-team all-state and all-conference as a senior Tae Johnson ATH 6-1½ 185 Fort Wayne, Ind. (North Side) Compiled 139 receptions, 2,286 receiving yards and 41 total touchdowns in his prep career Peter Jones* OL 6-5 300 Coatesville, Pa. (Malvern Prep) Earned first-team all-conference honors as a junior and senior Bodie Kahoun LB 6-3 215 Roanoke, Va. (Patrick Henry) Tabbed a U.S. Army Bowl All-American and was a Dick Butkus award (nation's top linebacker) finalist Anthonie Knapp* OL 6-4½ 275 Roswell, Ga. (Roswell) Allowed just 1 sack over his final two years, while recording 195 knockdown blocks Guerby Lambert OL 6-6 290 Boston (Catholic Memorial) Tabbed as an All-American Bowl participant as a senior Jack Larsen* TE 6-3 212 Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Catholic) Totaled 2,085 receiving yards on 117 receptions and scored 27 touchdowns during his prep career Leonard Moore CB 6-2 175 Round Rock, Texas (Round Rock) Notched 8 career interceptions Cole Mullins* DL 6-4 240 Hoschton, Ga. (Mill Creek) Missed his senior season due to injury after helping Mill Creek win a state title as a junior Styles Prescod* OL 6-5½ 270 Fishers, Ind. (Hamilton Southeastern) Two-time all-state selection Teddy Rezac LB 6-3½ 185 Omaha, Neb. (Westside) Named to the All-Nebraska team and first team Journal Star Super State Logan Saldate WR 5-11 185 Gilroy, Calif. (Palma) Named Monterey Herald's Offensive Player of the Year and was invited to the Polynesian Bowl Sean Sevillano Jr.* DL 6-1½ 325 Clearwater, Fla. (Clearwater Academy) Totaled 208 stops, 120 tackles for loss, 38 sacks and 10 forced fumbles during his prep career Loghan Thomas* DL 6-4 210 Katy, Texas (St. Edward [Ohio]) Led St. Edward to a state championship and earned first team all-district honors as a senior Kennedy Urlacher* S 5-11 180 Chandler, Ariz. (Chandler) Earned all-state and first-team all-region honors as a senior Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa* LB 6-3 230 Inland Empire, Calif. (St. John Bosco) Earned All-American Bowl and Polynesian Bowl invitations, was a Butkus Award (nation's top linebacker) finalist and was named the Los Angeles Times Player of the Year Aneyas Williams* RB 5-10 200 Hannibal, Mo. (Hannibal) Tabbed as the Gatorade Missouri Football Player of the Year Cam Williams* WR 6-2 195 Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Glenbard South) Selected to take part in the All-American Bowl Bryce Young* DL 6-5 ½ 245 Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Christian) Earned first-team all-state and Adidas All-America honors after posting 97 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 14 sacks as a senior Kedren Young* RB 5-11 225 Lufkin, Texas (Lufkin) Became Lufkin High's all-time rushing leader (3,926 yards) and earned an invite to the All-American Bowl * Early enrollee