Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546068
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM PRESEASON 2026 49 • Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas safety Zayden Gamble (No. 171 overall) • Waco (Texas) Midway running back Lathan Whisenton (No. 173 overall) • Green Bay (Wis.) Notre Dame de la Baie Academy offensive lineman Richie Flanigan (No. 186 overall) • Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep edge rusher Aidan O'Neil (No. 191 overall) • Rabun Gap (Ga.) Nacoochee School defensive lineman Segun Alexander (No. 192 overall) • Chicago Brother Rice defensive lineman Brayden Parks (No. 195 overall) • Chicago Mount Carmel linebacker Roman Igwebuike (No. 207 overall) • Springfield (Mass.) Central running back Isaiah Rogers (No. 212 overall) • Vero Beach (Fla.) High quarterback Champ Monds (No. 215 overall) • Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy edge rusher Jackson Vaughn (No. 269 overall) • Choctaw (Okla.) High tight end Ti- tus Hawk (No. 293 overall) Flanigan, Alexander, Vaughn and Hawk were all new additions to the Ri- vals300, giving Notre Dame more new- comers than any other program. 4. THE GRADES PAINT AN EVEN STRONGER PICTURE The rankings tell part of the story. The prospect grades are even more impressive. Among recruits with a 91 grade or better (ranked No. 220 or higher), Notre Dame has 17 commits. Florida, Miami, Texas A&M and Texas Tech are tied for second with 12 apiece. While the rankings are the easiest way to compare recruiting classes, the prospect grades are what really matter. Rivals evaluates each recruit and assigns an overall grade based on its scouting projection, then slots prospects into the rankings. According to Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power, ordering players within the same grade is often "like splitting hairs." For example, 70 prospects currently carry a 91 grade, meaning Rivals views them as roughly the same caliber of player. They still have to be ranked in some or- der, even though the differences between them may be minimal. By the end of each cycle, five-star prospects typically receive 98 or 99 grades, four-star prospects range from 90 to 97 and three-star prospects receive grades from 80 to 89. 5. NOTRE DAME'S DEFENSIVE LINE CLASS STANDS ALONE With the Irish being the only program to have two five-star defensive linemen, it's difficult to argue any school has as- sembled a better defensive front. The depth only strengthens that case. Defensive line coach Charlie Par- tridge's class features six Rivals300 commits, the most of any program. Along with Folorunsho and Sesay, the No. 2 prospects at their respective posi- tions, Notre Dame also has the Nos. 17 and 27 edge rushers in O'Neil and Vaughn and the Nos. 23 and 24 defen- sive linemen in Alexander and Parks. Auburn, Michigan and Texas A&M are tied for second with four each. 6. NOTRE DAME HAS ASSEMBLED ANOTHER ELITE OFFENSIVE LINE CLASS It should come as no surprise that of- fensive line coach Joe Rudolph has once again built the nation's top offensive line haul. Along with Simien, the No. 2 interior offensive lineman, and Olubobola, the No. 3 offensive tackle, Notre Dame also has the Nos. 7 and 11 interior offensive linemen in Flanigan and Halter. Florida and Ohio State are tied for second with three Rivals300 offensive line commits each. 7. THE IRISH BOAST ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST CORNERBACK DUOS With Hasan and Alston, the Nos. 5 and 15 cornerbacks in the class, Notre Dame has arguably the nation's best cornerback tandem. Florida technically has two corner- backs with comparable grades — Aa- maury Fountain (95 grade) and Raheem Floyd (92 grade) — but they rank No. 38 and No. 125 overall and sit sixth and 18th at the position. That gives Notre Dame a slight edge. 8. THE RUNNING BACK CLASS IS NEARLY UNMATCHED Notre Dame may have the nation's second-best running back class as well with Whisenton and Rogers, the Nos. 12 and 17 running backs in the class. Only LSU's tandem of Tre Segarra and Trey Martin, the Nos. 8 and 10 running backs nationally, grades higher. Interestingly, Notre Dame accepted Rogers' commitment despite previously prioritizing Segarra, who also held the Irish in high regard during the spring. ✦ Notre Dame Is Building A 'Florida Dame' Recruiting Pipeline On Feb. 19, new Notre Dame assistant wide receivers coach Shaun Shivers posted "#FloridaDame" on Twitter after he and the Irish staff offered a few underclassman recruits in the Sunshine State. Shivers probably had no idea at the time that he'd be starting a Notre Dame recruiting initiative with that phrase. Notre Dame had to overhaul its defensive staff in the offseason, and whether it was a coincidence or not, Marcus Freeman hired staffers who all hail from the Sunshine State — defensive line coach Charlie Partridge (Plantation), defensive backs coach Aaron Henry (Immokalee), linebackers coach Brian Jean- Mary (Apopka) and safeties coach Jevaughn Codlin (Delray Beach). Codlin rejoined the staff after a two-month stint at North Texas, and in mid-February, Notre Dame stole Shivers away from Florida State. And that's to go along with other Irish staffers from Florida, such as running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider (Belle Glade), general manager Mike Martin (Tampa) and defensive analyst Tre Reader (Tampa). With all these ties in Florida, Notre Dame has made an effort to recruit hard in the state — and it has paid big dividends. In the 2027 class, Notre Dame has secured verbal commitments from three of the state's top 25 play- ers: four-star wide receiver Julius Jones Jr. (No. 10) and four-star safety Zayden Gamble (No. 14), both from Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, and four-star quarterback Champ Monds (No. 23) of Vero Beach High. It also holds a pledge from one of South Florida's up-and-comers, Hollywood Chaminade- Madonna Prep safety John Gay III (No. 64). "At first, it was just a saying, but it's real," Gamble told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "It's the start of a pipeline. They've got Florida guys there now, but nothing like our class. … It's just the start of what's to come." "Coach Shivers — that's my dog," Jones said after his pledge. "He's from down here, and Florida Dame — Coach Shivers started that! They're trying to build a pipeline down here because they know the talent South Florida has. It's the best state for football, and they're trying to get it going." In the 2028 cycle, the Irish are looking to maintain their momentum in the Sunshine State by offering 27 recruits. — Mike Singer