Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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64 MARCH 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2025 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY MIKE SINGER N otre Dame planned to take three of- fensive line recruits in the 2025 class, and it landed a trio of top of the board targets. Will Black was a very early com- mit for the Irish and he ended up being ranked by On3 as the No. 2 overall player in the country. Matty Augustine and Owen Strebig picked Notre Dame over a handful of other big-time programs. The Irish always liked Indianapo- lis Warren Central's Cam Herron as a prospect, but Notre Dame planned to go tackle heavy on the offensive line, and at 6-2, 288 pounds, Herron certainly proj- ects on the interior — likely at center. Herron participated at Notre Dame's Irish Invasion Camp on June 2, 2024 in hopes of earning an offer from Marcus Freeman's program. He performed well but an offer wasn't given. But then Herron's senior season came along, and he wowed the Irish staff. He was committed to Iowa (in large part because the Irish hadn't offered him), but when Notre Dame offered him and hosted him for an official visit in Oc- tober, it was a no-brainer that he'd flip his pledge. "His senior film was really strong, and it's no surprise that Notre Dame decided to make a move on him," On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power said. "He's certainly worthy of that. He is a blue-chip offensive line prospect based on how he's playing." Rising senior Ashton Craig projects to start at center for the Irish in 2025, while Joe Otting, who is entering his third season with the Irish, looks to be his backup. Herron isn't expected to take the reins for at least a couple years, but he should be a good one down the line for Notre Dame. ✦ Herron, the No. 11 interior offensive lineman and No. 194 overall player in the land per On3, flipped his pledge from Iowa to Notre Dame last October. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER Cam Herron Waited For His Time With Notre Dame, And It Paid Off CAM HERRON OFFENSIVE LINEMAN 6-2 ∙ 288 WARREN CENTRAL H.S. INDIANAPOLIS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 242 17 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 194 11 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 243 15 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 19 8 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 23 8 STATISTICS • Paved the way for his Warren Central rushers to rack up 1,724 yards and 27 touchdowns on 383 carries (4.5 yards per carry). • Warren Central went 10-2 and lost in the re- gional championship of the Indiana Class 6A state playoffs. NOTABLE • Indiana Football Coaches Association (IFCA) selection to its Top 50 All-State team and named its Mr. Football Offensive Lineman as a senior. • 2023 and 2024 All-Marion County team. • 2024 Indianapolis Star all-state first-team pick. • 2023 IFCA All-State Junior. • Was also a member of Warren Central's varsity wrestling team. RECRUITMENT • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January. • Committed to the Fighting Irish on Oct. 14, 2024. • Was originally committed to Iowa. • Recruited by offensive line coach Joe Rudolph. • Visited Notre Dame five times, including his official visit on Oct. 12, 2024. 2025 PROJECTION • Expected to redshirt. THEY SAID IT On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "He's an outstanding mover and plays with a lot of twitch. He can redirect and works great to the second level. What we've continued to see from him is increased power. He plays with great leverage, drives through his hips and gets under- neath the pads of opposing defensive linemen. Herron gets a great push and moves guys in the run game, in addition to his reactive quickness in pass protection. "I was interested to see how he'd play as a senior because there were signs of this type of potential. He's not the tallest, but he has a big frame for be- ing 6-2. He has plus length with arms of over 34 inches, and he has big hands. He'll play at over 300 pounds. When you look at Herron, he's obviously an interior offensive lineman all the way. And with his athleticism and improved power, there's a lot to be excited about." BlueandGold.com analyst Tim Hyde: "He's a tough dude — violent with strong hands. He doesn't grab; he strikes like a boxer. He has always been one of my favorites. I'm always a fan of taking four offensive linemen every year. "He plays with a really good low base because he's short, so that'll help him being a 6-2 center. He's been a left guard during his career, but he's coming in to be a center. He'll eat, lift, learn and get his ass kicked on the scout team, and we'll see where he's at as a junior after Ashton Craig goes pro. "I'm really excited because he's a big-effort guy. You want that up front … This is a perfect fourth linemen to bring in and redshirt and develop. And he's coming from a damn good high school that produces Division I football players each and every year. This is the school that produced Sheldon Day. I love this."