Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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58 MARCH 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2025 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY KYLE KELLY I ts plot had such a surprising ending that Hollywood might not even buy it. Then again, maybe producers would entertain the story of Madden Faraimo's Notre Dame football recruitment once they heard it was true. It was Dec. 4, 2024, and San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) JSerra Catholic High School's national signing day ceremony was just a few hours away. Everyone was ready to celebrate except the school's top recruit, Faraimo. A 6-foot-2, 220-pound four-star linebacker, Faraimo is On3's No. 13 line- backer and No. 145 overall player na- tionally in the 2025 recruiting class. He was only three days removed from his final official visit. A 90-mile drive from his hometown of Oceanside, Calif., to Southern Cal — also known as USC. Faraimo, who is also On3's No. 11 re- cruit in California, had been there at least a dozen times on unofficial visits since his college football recruitment began during his 2021 freshman sea- son. About three years later, Faraimo remained uncommitted. The Trojans looked to capitalize and insisted on get- ting him to campus one last time, just days prior to signing day. Before Faraimo's trip to USC, the last school he had visited was Notre Dame. Faraimo attended the Irish's game against Florida State Nov. 9, his fifth trip to South Bend. After that visit, Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish were trending to land one of California's most coveted prospects. That was until Faraimo returned to Southern California. Entering signing day, the tide of his recruitment turned in the Trojans' fa- vor. National pundits predicted he would end up at USC. Yet, on signing day Faraimo had not yet decided. Meanwhile, JSerra Catholic's event was looming, and Marcus Freeman was preparing for his signing day news con- ference in South Bend. Just before Free- man stepped on the podium, Faraimo called him. He had his mind made up. "He said, 'Coach, I chose God,'" Free- man told reporters during his Dec. 4 presser. Faraimo had pulled off a signing day stunner. He picked Notre Dame. "I thought that was a powerful state- ment and speaks volumes about the young man and his family," Freeman said. "This was one of those that came down to the last minute, and until the papers came in, you still were on pins and needles." JSerra Catholic head coach Victor Santa Cruz had a different vantage point. The veteran college and high school foot- ball coach developed Faraimo as a junior and senior after he transferred from San Diego Cathedral Catholic. Arguably, no one knew Faraimo better. A Dramatic Ending To Madden Faraimo's Recruitment Favored Notre Dame Heading into the early signing period in December, Faraimo — On3's No. 13 linebacker and No. 145 overall player nationally — was expected to pick USC but ended up signing with Notre Dame. PHOTO BY CHAD SIMMONS