Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 9, 2024 49 Payne preferred to follow McCullough to South Bend. The uptick in Southwest Ohio tal- ent appearing on the Irish roster is no coincidence. Bowden — the son of Jim Bowden, the Cincinnati Reds' general manager from 1992-2003 — spent much of his life in the Queen City. The younger Bowden began high school at Cincinnati Anderson — be- fore transferring to Fort Thomas (Ky.) Highlands, a stone's throw away from downtown Cincinnati on the other side of the Ohio River. Bowden also attended the University of Cincinnati, where he began his career as a football staffer. Freeman, who graduated from Wayne High School, about eight miles north of Dayton, was the Bearcats' defensive coordinator from 2017-20. That's where he met Bowden. During that time, they judiciously signed about a dozen re- cruits from Southwest Ohio to the Bearcat defense. Among the prospects Freeman and Bowden added, three played for coach Tom Bolden at either Cincinnati Col- erain or West Chester Lakota West. Freeman's relationship with Bolden helped the Irish secure commitments from Minich and Bennie-Powell, who graduated from Lakota West in 2023 and 2024, respectively. "We have relationships with those head coaches that can tell you, 'This is a guy that will fit your program,'" Freeman told reporters Oct. 3. "And if you have a relationship and you trust them, a lot of times, that's all you need to hear." ST. XAVIER COULD BECOME A PIPELINE Freeman also has a longstanding con- nection with St. Xavier's Specht. About four months into Freeman's post with the Bearcats, he secured a verbal com- mitment from St. Xavier three-star edge Blake Bacevich. Before Freeman used Specht as a resource in Bacev- ich's recruitment, he played against the Bombers head coach in high school. Notre Dame's connections to St. Xavier run even deeper. Defensive co- ordinator Al Golden's son, A.J. Golden, played for "St. X" from 2020-23. The elder Golden was the Cincinnati Ben- gals linebackers coach from 2020-21 before taking over Freeman's defense in 2022. Now, Freeman, a former Ohio State linebacker, and Golden are in the thick of a recruitment for another Bombers standout. St. Xavier junior Kobe Clap- per, the No. 2 linebacker in the Midwest and the Buckeye State in the class of 2026, picked up a scholarship offer from the Irish during this year's St. Patrick's Day-themed Pot of Gold Day recruiting event. Clapper, also On3's No. 11 recruit in Ohio and No. 17 linebacker in the coun- try in 2026, unofficially visited Notre Dame for the first time April 19. He re- turned to campus Sept. 28 for the Lou- isville game. On Oct. 2, Blue & Gold Illustrated reported Freeman and defensive backs coach Mike Mickens, who — like Free- man — graduated from Wayne, would stop by St. Xavier. Both have become regulars in the St. X hallways over the last few years. "We're a Jesuit Catholic school, so the Catholic connection is big," Specht said. "It's big in the Cincinnati area be- cause of the Catholic population and all the parochial schools. I'm excited to see Notre Dame get back in here and have a presence." In addition to Clapper, the Irish are scouting St. Xavier senior quarterback Chase Herbstreit for a preferred walk- on opportunity. Herbstreit is the son of ESPN college football announcer Kirk Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quar- terback. GAINING GROUND ON OHIO STATE The Buckeyes will always be Notre Dame's stiffest competition for the top recruits in Southwest Ohio and at St. Xavier. However, since Urban Meyer — who coached defensive backs at St. Xavier in 1985 — took over as Ohio State head coach in 2012, the Buckeyes have priori- tized recruiting nationally. Ryan Day has continued that approach since replacing Meyer in 2019. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has routinely scoured the nation for top recruits for decades but has kept a keen eye on Cincinnati, Chicago and other major Midwestern cities. "There was a time back in the day when Ohio State and Jim Tressel would put a fence around Ohio," Specht said. "He kept Ohio kids. Then Urban went national and said, 'I'm going to recruit everybody.' "I think Notre Dame has always been a national program. But year in and year out, when you see their success and look at their roster, it's a lot of Midwestern kids." Sulfsted, who never reported an Ohio State offer despite having a connection with a Buckeyes staff member, is the type of player Specht refers to when he talks about "Midwestern kids" mak- ing up the key components of the Notre Dame football program. Clapper fits Specht's criteria as well. Although Clapper has an Ohio State of- fer, unlike most kids in the state, he has no allegiance to the Buckeyes. He grew up in Louisville, and Ohio State is not playing in one of the five games he ini- tially intended to see this season. "Since I came from Louisville, I've never been committed to Ohio State or grew up watching them," he said. "I never really had a favorite college be- sides Louisville when I was little. But once I moved, I kind of lost that. So, every college is all special and similar." Midway through Clapper's junior season, Notre Dame was the only school he had reported visiting more than once. Tennessee joined the Irish's com- pany when he attended the Alabama game Oct. 19. Clapper also plans to visit Louisville, Michigan and Oregon. But the Irish are pacing well early in his re- cruitment. "I know Kobe had a great visit when he went up there," Specht said. Under Freeman and Company, it would be no surprise to see them con- tinually return to their roots to capital- ize on winning recruiting battles in the left-hand corner of the Buckeye State. "I'd love to see that pipeline back," Specht said. "That's exciting." ✦ "We have relationships with those head coaches that can tell you, 'This is a guy that will fit your program.'" HEAD COACH MARCUS FREEMAN ON RECRUITING IN SOUTHWEST OHIO