Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM JANUARY 2025 47 BY KYLE KELLY History repeated itself Dec. 4. About 15 years after former Hono- lulu Punahou five-star linebacker re- cruit Manti Te'o pulled off a National Signing Day stunner by choosing Notre Dame over Southern Cal on Feb. 4, 2009, another elite thumper from out West chose the Fighting Irish over the Trojans. At the start of Marcus Freeman's early signing day news conference Dec. 4, Notre Dame's head coach announced San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) JSerra Catholic four-star linebacker Madden Faraimo, On3's No. 136 overall player in the 2025 class, had signed his finan- cial aid agreement with the Irish and pledged to play with the program. "I think it was a unique one," Freeman told reporters Dec. 4. "One that came down to today. We talked last night, and his mind wasn't made up. We talked this morning; his mind wasn't made up. Sometime after his conversations with our coaching staff, me and [general manager] Chad Bowden, he came to the realization that this was the place he wanted to be. "I was talking to him and said, 'Man, choose hard, choose hard.' That's what we use around here," Freeman said. "Madden said, 'Coach, I chose God.' And I thought that was a powerful statement, and speaks volumes about the young man and his family. "It was one of those that came down to the last minute. Until the papers came in, you were still on pins and needles." During Te'o's recruitment, he also cited his faith for leading him to sign with the Irish despite favoring the Tro- jans late in the process. He was the No. 1 linebacker and No. 4 overall player in the 2008 class. Faraimo, On3's No. 10 player in Cal- ifornia and No. 15 linebacker nation- ally, was just a few days removed from officially visiting nearby Southern Cal. He made well over a dozen trips to USC's campus, giving the Trojans the momentum. As Faraimo wrapped up his USC of- ficial visit, pundits predicted Dec. 2 that he would sign with the Trojans. But Notre Dame ultimately won out when it mattered most two days later. In addition to USC, Faraimo consid- ered Texas and Washington as final- ists after officially visiting both schools during the summer. He held scholar- ship offers from 17 other Power Four programs, including Ohio State and Or- egon, which made his initial top four in February. About two months later, Faraimo un- officially visited Notre Dame for spring practice, which marked his second trip to campus. His first trip to South Bend occurred on June 10, 2023. However, it was a quick visit that did not give him the full picture of the Irish. His April 13 visit helped him overcome those hur- dles, such as where he would live if he went to school at Notre Dame. "It was really great to see," Faraimo told Blue & Gold Illustrated in April. "That was one of my concerns, you could say, about Notre Dame. But that box is for sure checked now." Faraimo then made it to South Bend for his June 9 official visit, which so- lidified the Irish as a contender for his commitment. "I would say it has definitely changed now a little bit," Faraimo told Blue & Gold Illustrated in June while reflecting on his first trip to campus about a year prior. "I don't know if it was exactly my favorite or if I was crazy high on them. But now, they are a top school for sure." He proved as much by making two trips to South Bend during his high school senior season, including for the Florida State game Nov. 9, which came one week before his playoff game. While it never produced an immediate com- mitment, the visit gave Faraimo a better idea of what it would be like to attend and play for Notre Dame. "When I was at Notre Dame, I got a great sense of the history there," Fara- imo told On3's Chad Simmons. "It is prestigious. There are great people all over the campus that are involved there. The people make up that community." Faraimo also pointed to the univer- sity's faith-based education, player de- velopment and relationships as why he chose Notre Dame. "Faith is so important to me," Fara- imo said. "That makes Notre Dame dif- ferent from other schools. Then, Notre Dame has a proven track record of send- ing linebackers to the NFL. They have a great staff, and I really enjoy being around their coaches." ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE MADDEN FARAIMO Faraimo's decision to sign with Notre Dame over Southern Cal was a signing day stunner. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 FILM ANALYSIS "Madden Faraimo is a terror. He's the best defensive player, without a doubt, this year in the Trinity League. He's a stud — a hell of an athlete. Edge, Mike [middle linebacker] — he can play multiple positions. He definitely thinned out a little bit between his junior and senior year. On his senior film, he's a lot quicker. He's an all-around stud. "He's got it all. He legitimately can play Mike because Notre Dame doesn't have your old- school, 248-pound Mike backer that's going to plug the A-gap. It's guys that are playing all over the place. "Madden's going to play as a freshman just like Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. He's too athletic and has too many skills. They're going to find a way to get him 20 snaps per game. This is a bona fide, elite, five-star football player." — Blue & Gold analyst Tim Hyde Four-Star Linebacker Follows His Faith, Finalizes Notre Dame's 2025 Class