Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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54 JANUARY 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2 0 2 4 E A R L Y S I G N I N G D A Y 13. BLAKE HEBERT QB • 6-3, 215 Boxford, Mass. • Brunswick School (Conn.) After former Irish quarterback commit Deuce Knight from Luce- dale (Miss.) George County High flipped to Auburn, the Irish kept it very quiet regarding who they were looking to replace him, while working to flip Hebert from Clemson. Sources told Blue & Gold Illustrated that he was the Notre Dame staff's top quarterback tar- get in the summer of 2023 before he pledged to the Tigers over the Irish. As a player, the 6-3, 215-pounder has qualities that remind me of some current and past Irish signal-callers. He has Drew Pyne's moxy, Steve Angeli's stature and Riley Leonard's athleticism. Hebert, the No. 27 quarterback in the class, is a really strong get for the Irish at the position. — Singer 14. ELIJAH BURRESS WR • 6-0, 175 Totowa, N.J. • DePaul Catholic Many Irish fans aren't thrilled with Notre Dame's receiver class in 2025 after missing out on many targets, but they should be fired up about this addition. Burress, the No. 58 wide re- ceiver in the class, played for a state championship team in highly competitive New Jersey ball. He was very productive with over 25 yards per catch and over a dozen touchdown receptions as a senior. He doesn't have elite top-end speed, but the four-star prospect has a knack for creating separation with his superb route running and is a sure-handed target. The 6-0, 175-pounder has all the makings for a solid Notre Dame career. Burress might just be my favorite recruit of the class. I'm a fan. — Singer 15. MATTY AUGUSTINE OL • 6-6, 287 Greenwich, Conn. • Brunswick School The nation's No. 28 offensive tackle was solely a basketball player before taking football se- riously at Brunswick School. Under Bruins coach Wayne McGillicuddy, a former Division III offensive line coach at Ava Maria and all-conference selection as a player at Westfield State, the 6-6, 287-pound Augustine developed into one of the top offensive tackles in his class. Before verbally committing to the Irish in February, he reported scholarship offers from 27 other Power Four programs. Augustine's athleticism, physicality and tenac- ity make him a candidate to find a spot at tackle or guard on a future Notre Dame offensive line. — Kelly 16. JOSEPH REIFF DL • 6-5, 255 Elmhurst, Ill. • York Community Reiff's verbal commitment to Notre Dame on Sept. 24, 2023, came as a sur- prise. Rather than letting his re- cruitment play out, he pledged to the Irish the day after last season's Ohio State game and during just his third trip to cam- pus. He earned an offer from Notre Dame after participating in one of the program's three high school prospect evaluation camps June 20, 2023. Reiff, the No. 40 defensive lineman in the class, has been compared throughout his recruitment to Joshua Burnham and Rylie Mills because of his ability to play strongside defensive end or a three-technique defensive tackle. His motor and athleticism could help him excel on the edge, while his size and length make him an intriguing interior D-line candidate. As a high school senior, he had 57 tackles (39 solo), 8 stops for loss, 2.5 sacks, 31 quarterback hurries, 1 fumble recovery and 2 passes broken up. Reiff also started at left tackle for York and was an outstanding offensive lineman. — Kelly 17. CREE THOMAS CB • 6-0, 179 Phoenix • Brophy College Preparatory Because of Notre Dame's marquee defensive back commitments of Blair, Golden and Zackery, Thomas has gone overlooked in the class. Don't expect that to happen when he arrives in South Bend. Thomas starred at cornerback and safety in high school, col- lecting 116 tackles (100 solo), 3.5 stops for loss, 1.5 sacks, 14 passes broken up, 9 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. The Irish project Thomas to contribute at cor- nerback, but he has also shown the ability to play safety. At the very least, Thomas, the No. 48 cor- nerback in the class will add much-needed depth to the Notre Dame secondary. — Kelly 18. ETHAN LONG S • 6-1, 190 Milford, Conn. • Brunswick School About two months after Notre Dame offered Long, the coun- try's No. 45 safety, he partici- pated in one of the program's prospect evaluation camps in June 2023. His performance made him a must-get for the Irish. During his workout, he displayed exceptional length, range and footwork. He sharpened his tackling skills as a senior, logging 51 stops, includ- ing 5 for loss. Long is a playmaker, too, evidenced by his 3 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. He can play field or boundary safety for the Irish. Don't be surprised if Long turns out to be the most underrated player in the class. — Kelly 19. NOLAN JAMES JR. RB • 5-9, 200 Westwood, N.J. • DePaul Catholic Notre Dame snagged some early running back commitments in the 2025 cycle from Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit's Justin Thurman and Bryant (Ark.) High's Daniel An- derson, but things didn't work out with either prospect. The Irish moved on from them and went after James, who had been committed to Boston College for nearly a year. The nation's No. 43 running back comes to Notre Dame after a tremendous career at DePaul Catholic, where he compiled more than 5,000 all-purpose yards. When it comes to James' style of play, think former Irish star Kyren Williams. James isn't the fastest back, but he has great vision, shows make- you-miss ability, blocks well, and makes plays as a pass catcher. James was a solid late flip for the Fighting Irish. — Singer 20. KO'O KIA LB • 6-1, 209 Kahalu'u, Hawai'i • Punahou School If you talk to sources close to the Notre Dame football pro- gram, they are very excited about Kia and believe he's a four-star talent. He gives vibes of past versa- tile defenders Jaylen Sneed and Marist Liufau in Al Golden's defense, with Kia being able to play all over the front seven. He hits with pop and comes from a strong football background, with his father (Nate Kia) playing for the Utah Utes in the 1990s and his brother Kahanu Kia as a cur- rent Irish sophomore linebacker. The 6-1, 209-pound Ko'o hits violently and can play from sideline to sideline. The country's No. 57 linebacker is a strong get for the Fighting Irish. — Singer 21. GORDY SULFSTED DL • 6-4, 245 Cincinnati • St. Xavier Sulfsted never had the chance to prove he was vastly under- rated when Notre Dame pushed for his pledge in May. Before his regular season kicked off, Sulf- sted suffered a season-ending injury. That was a devastating blow for the 6-5, 235-pounder, who was showing signs that he was due for a breakout senior season. St. Xavier's de- fense isn't best suited for its defensive linemen to rack up stats. Still, as a junior, he compiled 41