Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2026 55 2026 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY MIKE SINGER I n December, reports surfaced that Notre Dame head coach Marcus Free- man was a top target for the New York Giants. While there was no credible indication that Freeman was seriously interested, Notre Dame commits in the 2026 class had to be sweating it a bit. For wide receiver Bubba Frazier of Sa- vannah, Ga., he remained optimistic that things would work out. "I didn't bother asking him about it," Frazier told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "I was just hoping he'd stay. He dropped the message on Twitter, and I was just happy that he's staying." The "message" Frazier mentioned was Freeman's tweet saying that he was running it back with Notre Dame in 2026 — and beyond. And Frazier is fired up as an early enrollee to be a part of the future of the Fighting Irish. "I'm excited to be around the team and get to work as a college football player," Frazier said. The four-star prospect committed to the Irish over Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin and others last April, never looking back. He didn't maintain con- tact with other college coaches. "Ever since I told the other colleges that I was shutting it down, they didn't bother me at all," Frazier said. "I was locked in with Notre Dame." His relationship with Freeman and wide receivers coach Mike Brown grew even stronger after his pledge. "It kept getting better and better," he said. "Coach Freeman would call and check in on me. It was the same thing with Coach Brown." Frazier had a tremendous senior sea- son, recording 13 touchdowns and ac- counting for 931 yards on offense. He helped lead Benedictine Military School to the Georgia 4A state championship game but fell in a heartbreaker to Creek- side, 42-39. "Even though it didn't end the way we wanted it to, I'm blessed," he said. "A lot of people didn't know, but the whole playoffs, I was playing with a strained calf. I was a decoy out there. It healed up just in time for the state champion- ship game." As a proud Savannah native, Frazier was honored as the 45th Michael Finocchiaro Memorial Award winner, given annually to Savannah's top high school foot- ball player. "I give all glory to God," he said. "I'm trying to be a leader to the younger generation — the ones who are coming up after me. You have to put in hard work and stay consistent every single day." Frazier could surprise Irish fans with his positional versatility at Notre Dame. "Coach [Mike] Denbrock told me that I could even play a lit- tle bit of running back," Frazier added. "I'm willing to do whatever — anything they want. Before high school, I played running back pri- marily. My coaches moved me all around and receiver became my primary position. But I can play running back, too." ✦ Bubba Frazier Is Eager To Make His Mark At Notre Dame BUBBA FRAZIER WIDE RECEIVER 5-10 · 175 BENEDICTINE MILITARY ACADEMY SAVANNAH, GA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪✪✪✪ 293 46 35 ✪✪✪✪ — 45 36 ✪✪✪✪ — 44 29 ✪✪✪✪ 230 39 27 STATISTICS • Caught 44 passes for 650 yards and 10 touch- downs, and had 42 carries for 281 yards and 3 scores, while helping lead Benedictine Military to a Georgia 4A state championship game appearance in 2025. Also scored on a punt return and made 2 interceptions, taking one back for a touchdown. • Made 46 receptions for 753 yards and 5 touch- downs as a junior in 2024. • Hauled in 53 passes for 753 yards with 4 touch- downs, plus tallied 319 yards and 3 scores on the ground, as a sophomore. • Ran a 4.43 laser-timed 40-yard dash on Un- der Armour Next camp series stop in Georgia on Feb. 9, 2025. NOTABLE • Named the 2024 and 2025 Georgia Region 1-AAAA Player of the Year. • Was the 45th Michael Finocchiaro Memorial Award winner, which goes to Savannah's top high school football player. • Tabbed first-team all-state by the Touchdown Club of Atlanta in 2025. • Also was a member of Benedictine Military's 2024 4x100 and 4x200 relay state championship squads. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on April 14, 2025. • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January. • Picked the Irish over Georgia, North Carolina and Wisconsin. • Recruited by wide receivers coach Mike Brown. • Saw Notre Dame three times, including his of- ficial visit on June 20, 2025. 2026 PROJECTION • Frazier is likely to redshirt as a true freshman. THEY SAID IT Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "Frazier is a versatile playmaker and a guy who can win in multiple ways. When you look at him physically, he projects as a slot at the next level. "You see that speed show up on the field on Fri- day nights. He can attack defenses in multiple ways. Frazier has the speed to win vertically and is danger- ous with the ball in his hands. His high school team hands the ball off to him quite a bit as well. "He has a well-rounded skill set, especially with regards to playing in the slot — he can motion into the backfield and is dangerous in the screen and quick-passing game. He has a real receiver skill set and solid tracking ability. He adds value as a poten- tial return man as well." Frazier accounted for 931 yards on offense and scored 13 touchdowns during his senior season at Savannah (Ga.) Benedictine Military School. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS