Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544292
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM APRIL/MAY 2026 39 the great ones — and they always told me no matter how good of a coach you are, you win with impact players. And that always stuck with me. "Notre Dame would get a five-star every year or two, but never five like this year. That's the first time they've done that since 1990." Halter, who was a member of the 1989 class — the year after the Irish won the national championship in 1988 — saw the importance of having supreme tal- ent firsthand. He played with College Football Hall of Famers running back Jerome Bettis, defensive lineman Chris Zorich, wide receiver Rocket Ismail, of- fensive tackle Aaron Taylor and line- backer Michael Stonebreaker. The teams from 1989-93 also pro- duced a remarkable 41 NFL Draft picks, including seven first-rounders: tight ends Derek Brown and Irv Smith, offen- sive tackle Andy Heck,cornerback Todd Lyght, quarterback Rick Mirer, defen- sive back Tom Carter and Bettis. "When you have that level of compe- tition and alpha dogs coming in from all over the country, all wanting to com- pete, it just raises the level of every- thing," Halter said. "Everything was a competition. Everything had conse- quences — lifting, conditioning, every- thing. And it's contagious. "And that's why I can see what Coach Freeman's doing. He's right there. And it's cool to see because it's been lacking for quite a long time." TOP PROSPECTS SET STAGE FOR IRISH TO SUSTAIN RECRUITING MOMENTUM Led by the younger Halter, Notre Dame's top offensive commit in the 2027 class and second-highest-rated recruit heading into April, the Irish have posi- tioned themselves for another top haul. The Irish currently have the No. 7 class nationally and three top-100 recruits, ac- cording to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles rat- ings and rankings from all three primary recruiting media services: Halter (No. 79) plus cornerbacks Xavier Hasan (Raleigh, N.C.) and Ace Alston (Cincinnati), who rank as the Nos. 54 and 91 overall players in the class, respectively. This spring, they are positioning them- selves to land more five-star prospects. Among the recruits visiting campus are offensive lineman Albert Simien (Lake Charles, La.), edge rusher Zyron Forstall (Bradenton, Fla.), linebacker Kaden Hen- derson (Tampa, Fla.) and defensive line- man Marcus Fakatou (Orange, Calif.). The Rivals Industry Ranking ranks all four prospects within the top 32, the threshold for five-star status at the end of every recruiting cycle. Currently, Simien, Forstall, Henderson and Fakatou rank as the Nos. 12, 16, 25 and 28 overall prospects in the class, respectively. Notre Dame will also host defensive lineman David Folorunsho (Chicago), tight end Jaxon Dollar (Denver, N.C.), edge Mekai Brown (Greenwich, Conn.) and linebacker Joakim Gouda (Powder Springs, Ga.) — four more top-32 re- cruits according to Rivals' rankings — within the next few weeks. Rivals ranks them as the Nos. 13, 23, 27 and 30 overall respective recruits in the cycle. As was the case in the 2026 class, landing commitments from those re- cruits would go a long way toward the Irish achieving a second straight top- five class. They have not done that since the early Weis years, when he loaded up on offensive talent. Like Holtz's, Free- man's classes are well-balanced. "After the '90 class — then in '95 they brought in real good players, which helped them — but never consistently put two great classes together," Lem- ming said. "From '90 all the way un- til Marcus came in, they never had two great classes in a row. Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State — they win because they've had three or four great classes in a row. "That's why this year is super impor- tant for Notre Dame to put two great classes in a row, which I mean top-five classes. Not top 15. Because they've done that in the past." WATCHING FREEMAN FIRSTHAND, HALTER SEES ECHOES OF THE HOLTZ ERA While going through the recruiting process with his son James, the older Halter has seen firsthand that Notre Dame is capable of doing it. Watching Freeman lead the program is like déjà vu from when he played for Holtz. "You see how he addresses the team, and you're like, 'That's not for the TV.' There's a different cat you see when the cameras are off or behind closed doors," he said. "That's who he is. … Once I actually got that inside access through James' recruiting, instantly it was, I know exactly what's going on here. This looks and feels awfully familiar." Halter's experience offers a window into Freeman's approach — one that Lemming believes could signal another golden era for the Irish. "He's the closest they've had to Lou Holtz," Lemming said. "Lou knew ev- erything about Notre Dame history, and in between, he would do magic tricks for the family. He left those houses with those kids wanting to come to Notre Dame, and their parents even more so. Holtz was great in the house. "Marcus doesn't do magic tricks, but he's got the kind of warm personality and brains that do exceptionally well with recruits. Notre Dame could be en- tering another great era." ✦ Pittsburgh Central Catholic interior offensive line- man James Halter, the son of former Irish offensive lineman Jordan Halter (1989-93), was Notre Dame's top offensive commit in the 2027 class and second- highest-rated recruit heading into April. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY "He's the closest they've had to Lou Holtz. … Notre Dame could be entering another great era." RECRUITING EXPERT TOM LEMMING ON FREEMAN