Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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44 SEPT. 21, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY KYLE KELLY T he Notre Dame football program is still on the prowl for 2025 class wide receivers. And in early Sep- tember, Orlando (Fla.) Boone recruit Isaiah Mizell became the latest to earn the Fight- ing Irish coaching staff's at- tention because he has one of their most desired traits: speed. Following conversations with general manager Chad B owd e n , w i d e re c e ive rs coach Mike Brown and head coach Marcus Freeman, the 6-foot, 160-pound Mizell, an Arizona verbal commit, reported an offer from the Irish Sept. 10. He is a three- star recruit who is the No. 67 p ros p e c t i n F l o r i d a a n d No. 78 wide receiver nation- ally according to On3. Mizell's Irish offer comes after he registered 17 receptions for 389 yards and 4 touchdowns through the first two games of his senior season. That type of production is undeniable. However, his spring 100-meter dash time of 10.49 seconds is what has the coaching staff most intrigued. "They said they needed me," Mizell told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "That stuck out. They don't have anybody with speed, and I offer that. I am a necessity for them, which is really big." When Mizell spoke to Freeman, he felt that Notre Dame's head coach was "genuine and authentic." That vibe carried across his conversations with Bowden and Brown. "From all the coaches I've talked to, you can tell how the whole coaching staff is based on Coach Freeman," Mizell said. "Everyone follows his lead. I could tell that with all the other coaches I talked to — genuine and authentic were the first words that came to mind." The coaching staff's professionalism sparked so much interest that Mizell would like to meet them in person. So, he will officially visit Notre Dame for the Louisville game Sept. 28. Mizell also said his interest in the Irish is also because of the lack of interest from in-state schools. Before he com- mitted to Arizona, his other top schools were Georgia Tech, Kansas State and Syracuse. "Being that I didn't get offers from places like Florida, FSU, UCF and places closer to home, I'm forced to expand outward," he said. "Notre Dame is my biggest offer. I'm trying to go to the big- gest name school and get my name out there. I'm trying to be three and out [to go to the NFL]." Mizell's older brother, Aidan Mizell, once held a Notre Dame offer. He signed with Florida and is in Year 2 with the Gators. Even though the younger Mizell once desired to play college football in the Sunshine State, he has moved on from considering Florida programs, even if they were to circle back to him. "I've been a Florida Gators fan my whole life," he said. "I've been up there so much these past couple of years and seeing how everything went out with my brother. They already had the opportunity to of- fer me, but they didn't. It's a moot point with them, basically with everyone in Florida. "UCF offered me not too long ago, and we're still talk- ing. I had a bunch of out-of- state schools offer me before the in-state schools. Being there early means a lot to me too." Even though Notre Dame offered him about three months before signing day, he said he would "definitely" give the Irish a realistic look at the end of the month. But for him to flip his pledge, it comes down to that gut feeling he would experience while on campus. "The biggest thing to me is how much I like the actual place — the feeling of just being there," he said. "I'll be spend- ing my next couple of years there. Be- sides that, just how my relationship with the whole coaching staff meshes together, and with the players because the coaches can leave. "I need to see how cool all the play- ers are there right now to see if it's a real family. Because that's what had me commit to Arizona, all the players were at every event. There would just be a couple at the other visits I went to. And that was because they had to since they were the hosts. Everybody on the team was everywhere at Arizona. "I just want to see if they're family- oriented at Notre Dame. That's really big for me." Notre Dame has two receiver com- mitments thus far in the 2025 cycle: Atlanta Woodward Academy's Jerome Bettis Jr. and Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Cath- olic's Elijah Burress. The sons of Super Bowl champions Jerome Bettis Sr. and Plaxico Burress, respectively, rank as three-star prospects. The Irish would like to take two additional receivers in the 2025 class. ✦ Notre Dame Looks To Flip Florida Receiver From Big 12 School Receivers coach Mike Brown and the Irish are pursuing Orlando (Fla.) Boone standout Isaiah Mizell, an Arizona commit who is the No. 67 prospect in Florida and the No. 78 wideout in the country per On3. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER F O O T B A L L RECRUITING