Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2025 69 2025 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY KYLE KELLY N otre Dame safety commit Ethan Long contradicted himself. Whether the three-star recruit from Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick School tried to reveal it or not, he was at least a smidge annoyed by his prospect rank- ing. On3 ranked him as the No. 9 player in Connecticut and No. 58 safety na- tionally in the 2025 class. That's not good enough for Long. He feels underrated. And rightfully so. Before verbally committing to the Irish last December, he also held offers from blue bloods like Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. He even verified his status as a junior by winning All-League honors from the Northeast Prep Football Conference. That campaign included 56 tackles, 3 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles. As a senior, Long had 51 tackles, 5 stops for loss, 3 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries in 10 games. His play proved he is due for rankings reconsideration. And more importantly to him, it is speaking for all college foot- ball prospects in New England. "They always count us out," Long told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "I know that not just the South and West can play. We can ball, too. We're going to come for it all. So, don't sleep on us." Long presents a matchup nightmare for opposing signal-callers and their pass catchers. Running backs must also feel his bone-jarring hits. "We've made him that extra hitter," Brunswick School coach Wayne McGil- licuddy said. "He's that free hitter that comes down and who's unblocked." Last year, the Bruins had eight defen- sive backs, but six of them graduated. As one of the two returning contributors, Long had experience that was invalu- able in communicating coverages and aligning the secondary. McGillicuddy mentioned that Long also excelled as a leader outside the white lines. By doing the little things correctly and regularly, he has become a mentor for the secondary school youth. "He has done a great job of showing them what work ethic is," McGillicuddy said. "He's always watching film and trying to work on his technique. He has put his arm around those guys and showed them what it takes to get to that level and have his football IQ." When Long says New England's cur- rent top football prospects "are going to come for it all," he means the future ones, too. ✦ Long, On3's No. 9 recruit in Connecticut and No. 58 safety in the country, hopes to prove during his Notre Dame career that New England recruits are underrated. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY Ethan Long Was A Lynchpin For Brunswick School ETHAN LONG SAFETY 6-2 ∙ 194 BRUNSWICK SCHOOL MILFORD, CONN. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪ ✪ ✪ — 45 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 58 9 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 42 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 53 8 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 39 4 STATISTICS • Notched 51 tackles, 5 stops for loss, 3 intercep- tions, 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries in 10 games in 2024. • Compiled 56 total tackles, 3 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles in nine games in 2023. NOTABLE •All New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) honorable mention in 2024. • First-team All-Northeast Prep Football Confer- ence in 2024 and second team as a junior. • All- NEPSAC in 2022. • All-New England selection in basketball in 2023. • Played his first two high school football seasons at Trumbull (Conn.) St. Joseph. • Is the cousin of former Irish wide receiver and captain Austin Webster. RECRUITMENT • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January and began practicing with the team in December. • Committed to the Fighting Irish on Jan. 8, 2024. • Closely considered Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin. • Recruited by former Notre Dame safeties coach Chris O'Leary and current defensive backs coach Mike Mickens. • Visited Notre Dame eight times, including his official visit on June 14, 2024. 2025 PROJECTION • Will attempt to contribute on special teams to start his career and could also preserve a redshirt season. THEY SAID IT BlueandGold.com analyst Tim Hyde: "He is a natural safety. When you look at the safeties Notre Dame has been signing, it's been box guys and athletes like Tae Johnson, but with Ethan Long, you have a true safety. "He looks long on film. He looks to be all of 6-2, if not taller. He's a really good playmaker and runs well to the ball. Long is not afraid to tackle and is always coming downhill. He has really good man skills. I like this guy; he's a smooth safety. He's a natural, good-looking athlete who can play the middle-third like Xavier Watts did for the Irish." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "I love him as a prospect. I think he's an All-Ameri- can. He's not as good as Kyle Hamilton, but he's the next best thing. He has good length, great instincts and is a very mature. Long already has good size and speed."