Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM AUGUST 2024 37 BY MIKE SINGER Notre Dame has its quarterback com- mit in the 2026 class. Lake Mary (Fla.) High's Noah Grubbs announced his pledge to the Fighting Irish June 1. The 6-4½, 195-pounder earned an offer from the Notre Dame staff last June during a prospect camp in South Bend, returned to see the Irish's battle against Ohio State and made trip No. 3 to campus back in March. Grubbs took more than 20 unofficial visits during his recruiting process, and after his spring trips he knew which college he wanted to call home in a couple of years. "I went to all of my top schools throughout the spring, and Notre Dame was the place that was the most spe- cial in my heart," said Grubbs, who in- formed the Irish staff of his commitment a couple weeks before announcing his decision. "I was thinking to myself that nothing new could pop up that's going to make it so that I like another place more. "I've already been to the schools I wanted to see. I wanted to make the de- cision now to recruit the class." Grubbs, who is ranked as the nation's No. 14 quarterback No. 193 overall player by On3, picked Notre Dame over Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio State and a hand- ful of other top programs. "Notre Dame has always been a front runner in my recruitment," Grubbs said. "The last time I visited, I could really see myself there when I went through the campus and facilities. I can get to the next level with the coaches they have. It's a very unique coaching staff; they're different from others. It seems to be a stable staff, too. "Notre Dame always had a special place in my heart, and sometimes you have to go where your heart leads. Notre Dame is definitely the place for me." It was a special moment for Grubbs when he called up Irish head coach Mar- cus Freeman about the big news. "I asked Coach Freeman to take my commitment after I told him how spe- cial Notre Dame is to me and how I can see myself leading my class," Grubbs said. "He said it'd be an honor to take my commitment." Grubbs thinks the world of Irish quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli, who led Notre Dame's pursuit of the highly coveted gunslinger. "We don't only talk about football; our conversations are about life," Grubbs said. "Anything that's on our mind, we can talk about it. That's how comfortable we are with each other, and that's impor- tant to have with your position coach. "I know his family and background. That was big in my recruitment." Typically, there's a reason a prospect picks a specific date to announce his de- cision. Oftentimes, it's sentimental. But for Grubbs, it was all about business. He wanted to commit prior to Notre Dame's Irish Invasion camp June 2, which he participated in. "I wanted to do it before the camp so that when I'm there, I can help recruit in my class," Grubbs stated. "I want it to be known that I'm committed. I want to get this class of '26 going." Grubbs still has two years of high school, but he plans to enroll early at Notre Dame and will be solid in his commitment. "There's nothing about other col- leges. It's me and Notre Dame," he said. "I don't plan on decommitting. That's not in my head whatsoever." During his sophomore season in which he helped Lake Mary to a 10-2 record in 2023, Grubbs completed 208 of 354 passes for 3,670 yards with 49 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He added 4 rushing scores. The Orlando Touchdown Club and the Orlando Sentinel named him its 2023 Offensive Player of the Year. Grubbs set the following Lake Mary school passing records in 2023: single- game touchdowns (8), single-game yardage (528), single-season touch- downs (49), single-season yards (3,677), most passes completed in a single game (31), single-season completions (207) and attempts (356). He is also currently the school's all-time leader in average yards per game (306.4). Grubbs played a good bit as a fresh- man, throwing for 1,593 yards with 17 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. ✦ Fighting Irish Lock In Their Class Of 2026 Quarterback COMMITMENT PROFILE NOAH GRUBBS As a sophomore, Grubbs was selected as SBLive's Offensive Player of the Year for the state of Florida. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY FILM ANALYSIS "Noah Grubbs is a big-bodied, pocket passer who had a productive sophomore season through the air, throwing for close to 3,700 yards and 49 touchdowns. He's at his best and most comfortable when pushing the ball downfield from inside the pocket. Grubbs has shown to have a good arm and has a prototypical size between 6-4 and 6-5 and 200 pounds. "You can tell he's worked on his body the past year. He's lost over 20 pounds from this time last year, and you can see him move better in the camp setting. I'm looking forward to seeing how he looks as a junior and if his improvements translate to the field." — On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power