Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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34 JUNE/JULY 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY MIKE SINGER N otre Dame added a huge piece to its 2025 recruiting class April 28, landing a com- mitment from Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep defensive back Dallas Golden. That put the Irish at 20 commitments in the cycle, which means space is becoming limited. All rankings listed in this ar- ticle are according to On3. Notre Dame has Lucedale (Miss.) George County's Deuce Knight, the nation's No. 6 sig- nal-caller and No. 54 overall prospect, committed as its quarterback of the future. Ala- bama and Ole Miss have been hoping to flip Knight from the Irish, but his commitment to Notre Dame is growing stron- ger each time he visits cam- pus. He was in South Bend twice during the spring, and he'll be back the weekend of June 14 for an of- ficial visit. "It was great being back in Notre Dame Stadium," Knight told On3 af- ter visiting for the Blue-Gold Game April 20. "The fans showed a lot of love, and I got to hang with the guys." Notre Dame has two running backs committed, and the staff is continu- ing to evaluate prospects. Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit's Justin Thurman, a three-star prospect and the No. 76 running back in America, committed to the Irish last August while Bryant (Ark.) High's Dan- iel Anderson, a three-star recruit and the No. 54 back in the country, commit- ted to Notre Dame just hours before the Ohio State game. Notre Dame has also been recruiting Shreveport (La.) Calvary Baptist Acad- emy's James Simon, the No. 8 running back and No. 116 overall prospect in the country, for several months and hosted him for a visit this spring, but he is con- sidered a Texas lean. The staff may move on other run- ning back prospects as well. Position coach Deland McCullough is taking a look at Demon June out of Jacksonville (N.C.) High. McCullough will likely in- quire about other running back pros- pects throughout the spring evaluation period, which lasts until June. College coaches can see high school players during this period. It's tough to predict what the Irish will do at this point, but it is rare to see a school sign three high school running backs in the same class. Notre Dame has three receiver com- mitments in the 2025 cycle, all of whom are currently rated as three-star players. Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic's Elijah Burress (the son of former NFL stand- out Plaxico Burress), Atlanta Woodward Academy's Jerome Bettis Jr. (the son of Irish legend and NFL Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis Sr.) and Ironton (Ohio) High's Shaun Terry are pledged to the Irish. Burress and Bettis look to be fully locked into their Notre Dame pledges. Terry seems to be as well, but a few power conference schools are not slow- ing down their pursuit of him. Notre Dame could take up to two more receivers in the class, and Las Ve- gas Bishop Gorman's Derek Meadows, the No. 13 receiver and No. 97 overall recruit nationally, has been at the top of the board for nearly a year. Blue & Gold Illustrated considers Meadows a Notre Dame lean after talking with sources, but Alabama, Geor- gia and Michigan are also in hot pursuit of him. His com- munication with the Irish staff lately has been fantastic. Cocoa (Fla.) High's Jayvan Boggs and Houston Dekaney's Tanook Hines are two names Irish fans have learned more a b o u t i n re c e n t m o n t h s. Hines, a three-star player and the No. 61 wideout in the land, and Boggs, the No. 37 receiver and No. 263 overall prospect in America, both visited Notre Dame in the spring, and the expectation is that they'll re- turn for summer official visits. The Irish are a contender for both prospects but might not be the leader for either. Boggs and/or Hines are very much possibilities to join the class, though. It looks to be a three-horse race for Geneva (Ill.) Community's Talyn Taylor, the nation's No. 11 wide receiver and No. 73 overall player. Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State are at the top of his list. He has official visits scheduled with each school; Taylor's official visit to South Bend will take place the week- end of June 14. The feeling for several months has been that Notre Dame was running second or third in his recruit- ment, but the longer this plays out, the better the Irish's chances may be here. Don't be surprised to see Notre Dame expand its board at receiver. The Irish are interested in La Verne (Calif.) Bo- nita's Dylan Robinson, the No. 8 wide- out and No. 174 overall prospect in the country. UCLA and Utah are the teams to beat currently, but the expectation is that Notre Dame will offer him and become a contender in his recruitment. Notre Dame is set at tight end with Green Bay (Wis.) Notre Dame de la Baie Academy's James Flanigan, the No. 6 tight end and No. 138 overall prospect in the land, committed. The Irish are not Space Becoming Scarce In Notre Dame's 2025 Class Notre Dame, Ohio State and Georgia are the top choices for Geneva (Ill.) Community's Talyn Taylor, the nation's No. 11 wide receiver and No. 73 overall player according to On3. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY