Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2025 41 2025 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE to supplement a position group, not revamp it entirely. That's what the ad- dition of James is — a supplementa- tion to a group that is slated to have a slew of returning tailbacks in 2025 — juniors Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price and Gi'Bran Payne, and sophomores Aneyas Williams and Kedren Young. Throw James into that mix, and once again you've got over a handful of ca- pable runners in the Irish's "stable." Not every horse in the stable gets to run, though. Not as much as the oth- ers, anyway. Take Williams and Young as an example. The former figured into Notre Dame's regular rotation as the team's No. 3 tailback behind Love and Price. Young, meanwhile, only played in a couple games at the end of them when the result was a mere formality. He looked good in those instances, running 21 times for 116 yards and a touchdown, but Williams carried 34 times for 219 yards and 2 touchdowns in mostly more meaningful situations. Williams also caught 18 passes for 172 yards. Young did not record one reception. If you're looking for a freshman pro- jection for James, it's probably more Young than Williams. There are just too many bodies in the room for everyone to get on the field on Saturdays. But remember this about James and everyone else in the Notre Dame run- ning back contingent — trust in former position coach Deland McCullough's vision. If he likes a kid and Notre Dame signs him, it's for good reason. On paper grade: B WIDE RECEIVER Signees: Four-star Antavious Rich- ardson of Greenville (Ga.) High, four- star Elijah Burress of Wayne (N.J.) De- Paul Catholic and three-star Jerome Bettis Jr. of Atlanta Woodward Academy Synopsis: This is a tough group to break down. You've got someone who has never played wide receiver before in Richardson, but you also have the sons of two former football greats in Burress and Bettis, the children of Super Bowl winners Plaxico Burress and Jerome Bettis, respectively. Burress is definitely the best get of the three on paper. He's got all the tools of a potential standout wideout. When you watch his film, you see a strong route runner and someone who understands he's never going to get the ball if he's not open. He revels in every- thing it takes for the quarterback to have a reason to target him. Notre Dame is definitely leaning into a "diamond in the rough" approach with the other two, considering Rich- ardson was recruited as a defensive player by Alabama and Bettis has the game in his blood despite not being very highly ranked. Therein lies the intrigue, though; if Alabama wants a player, he's athletic. Period. Notre Dame has a dif- ferent vision for Richardson than the Crimson Tide, but that doesn't mean it's the wrong one. And just because Bettis might not even live up to the lore and legacy his father left behind doesn't mean he can't make plays of his own in a Notre Dame uniform. Give this trio time. These three might end up being the real deals for the Fight- ing Irish. On paper grade: C TIGHT END Signee: Four-star James Flanigan of Green Bay (Wis.) Notre Dame de la Baie Academy Synopsis: Another legacy Notre Dame signee, Flanigan is an incredible athlete. He played hockey and ran track in high school in addition to lettering in football all four years. The Irish need to be careful assuming athleticism will translate at the college level, though, with fellow tight end and former bas- ketball star Eli Raridon not fully break- ing out to this point in his career. Flanigan feels different, though. He does not have the two knee injuries Raridon suffered, and he has bloodlines on his side — his dad was a defensive lineman at Notre Dame in the 1990s and carved that into a 10-year NFL ca- reer. Everything about Flanigan screams "next great Notre Dame tight end." That's what Notre Dame needs him to be. Raridon, a rising senior, is all of a sudden Notre Dame's best option at the position with Mitchell Evans hav- ing exhausted his eligibility. Sixth-year senior Kevin Bauman is coming back Owen Strebig — a 6-8, 298-pound tackle — is a big part of Notre Dame's four-man offensive line haul that received high marks. PHOTO COURTESY ON3