Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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48 MARCH 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2025 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY KYLE KELLY M atty Augustine moved into the Trinity-Pawling School secondary with authority and might. The 6-foot-7, 292-pounder treated any defenders in sight as a threat. Behind him ran 5-8, 170-pound Zay Smith, a senior running back at Green- wich (Conn.) Brunswick School. In the background rang cheers from the Bru- ins' sideline, predicting the result. "That's a touchdown block, Matty. That's a touchdown block," said his teammates, cheers echoing in the dark background of the New York night sky draping over David N. Coratti Field on Nov. 2. Certainly, they were right. With Augustine's help, a Notre Dame football offensive line signee, Smith en- tered the end zone virtually untouched. The Bruins scored their third of five first-half touchdowns en route to a 49-15 victory over the Pride. The Trinity-Pawling defensive line was no match for Augustine. However, few in New England were for On3's No. 5 recruit in Connecticut and No. 43 offensive tackle nationally in the 2025 class. In the eighth game of his senior sea- son, Augustine routinely bullied de- fenders and buried them in the dirt. For as much excitement as his blocks gave his team, Augustine has been equally invested in his teammates' development off the field. So, their reactions when they saw Augustine's blocking efforts were not rehearsed. "He's big in the community aspect and making sure that they're all on the same page," Brunswick School coach Wayne McGillicuddy told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "He took guys under his wing." On Feb. 20, 2024, Augustine verbally committed to Notre Dame over Wiscon- sin, Michigan, Ohio State and UCLA. For the next six months, all Augustine focused on were his teammates and himself. The burden of giving an out- come to his college football recruitment was gone. "I feel like I can play my game," Au- gustine said. "Just focus on strictly football." It paid off for the Bruins. They fin- ished the year 8-2, though the season concluded with a loss to Wallingford (Conn.) Choate Rosemary Hall in the New England Preparatory School Ath- letic Council championship game. Still, a season like that doesn't hap- pen without Augustine's leadership on and off the field. It's what makes him the perfect fit in South Bend. "He's special," McGillicuddy said. "He is a true Notre Dame kid." ✦ Augustine was a pillar at Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick School before enrolling at Notre Dame in January. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY Matty Augustine Develops Into A 'Notre Dame Kid' MATTY AUGUSTINE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN 6-7 ∙ 292 BRUNSWICK SCHOOL GREENWICH, CONN. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪ ✪ ✪ — 31 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 43 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 41 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 73 7 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 246 24 2 STATISTICS • Was part of an offensive line that only allowed 1 sack and paved the way for 2,229 yards (8.3 yards per carry) and 30 touchdowns on the ground in 2024, helping Brunswick School reach the cham- pionship game of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council. NOTABLE • New England Preparatory School Athletic Coun- cil Class A Lineman of the Year in 2024. • First-team Northeast Prep Football Conference offense as a senior. • Four-year member of the varsity basketball team and named as a captain as a senior. • Five-year member and two-year varsity foot- ball team captain after repeating his junior year in 2023. • Played on the same team as Notre Dame fresh- man quarterback Blake Hebert and safety Ethan Long in 2024. • Graduated from the same high school as Irish director of athletics Pete Bevacqua. RECRUITMENT • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January. • Committed to the Fighting Irish on Feb. 20, 2024. • Closely considered Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State, UCLA and Wisconsin before declaring to the Irish. • Recruited by offensive line coach Joe Rudolph. • Visited Notre Dame eight times, including his official visit on June 14, 2024. 2025 PROJECTION • Projected to redshirt. THEY SAID IT On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "Augustine is a natural, coordinated mover and looks functionally athletic as a run blocker and pass protector. I like how he moves to the second level. In addition to his movement skills, he has a level of technical skill and ability to understand his footwork as a run blocker and in pass protection. I like his ability to drop his weight and anchor. "Augustine bends well, plays low and can get underneath the pads of defensive linemen once he's engaged. He can play tackle or on the interior at the next level. He doesn't have the high-end length of a top offensive tackle, so he may have to slide inside in college, but I could see him playing tackle. I'm not sure he'd project as an NFL tackle. "He shows good play strength and will continue to get stronger as he puts on weight. We'll see that rise at Notre Dame. His movement skills and run- blocking ability are all positives right now." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "Au- gustine brings great length, and excellent footwork and work ethic to the table. Despite his height, he can bend and consistently win the leverage battle. He can play tackle on either side of the line, shows good use of hands and has improved his ability to slide and mirror. "Once Augustine locks onto a defender, he stays with them until the whistle. He has enough quick- ness and lateral speed to handle edge rushers, keeps his feet moving and does a good job getting under the defender's pads."