Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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42 SEPT. 12, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER W ith the season Notre Dame should have and the home-game atmo- spheres (looking at you Miami Nov. 7) it will have under the lights, the Irish's re- cruiting momentum should continue — and potentially even increase — this fall. There are not many wrong choices to go with in identifying five recruitments where Notre Dame could make its big- gest move this year. Marcus Freeman and his staff have the opportunity to make major moves with many top tar- gets this fall. Below are the five names that came to mind for this story. Five-Star LB Kaden Henderson, Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit After Notre Dame signed 30 high school prospects in the 2026 class, the 2027 haul is projected to be a smaller group. As of Sept. 4, the Irish had 23 commitments and the expectation is that Notre Dame will end up with one or two more players, but it's still to be determined. One class of 2027 recruit that Blue & Gold Illustrated expects the Irish to be active with is Henderson. The five-star prospect (Rivals' No. 1 linebacker and No. 25 overall player in the nation) has been committed to Texas A&M since June, and his recruitment was a wild one, especially down the stretch. The Aggies were the leader for the past several months, but the Irish grabbed the momentum early in June. However, A&M was able to recapture the lead and ultimately land Hender- son, who didn't end up taking his Notre Dame official visit. The Irish could cer- tainly make a big move for Henderson this fall if they get him to take an official. Five-Star Edge Asher Ghioto, Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles School The elite prospect (Rivals Industry Ranking's No. 1 edge and No. 3 overall prospect and the 2028 class) got his first look at Notre Dame back in the sum- mer of 2023 during a prospect camp and returned twice last year, including the Southern Cal game. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Ghioto has visited several schools this calen- dar year, not including Notre Dame. The Irish seem to have re-emerged in his recruitment in recent months with Charlie Partridge leading the charge, but Notre Dame needs to get him back on campus to make a major move with him. Ghioto is one of many elite prospects who plan to visit Notre Dame for the Miami contest Nov. 7. He's also high on the Hurricanes, adding intrigue to the trip. Five-Star WR Jaylen Addai, Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek Rivals' Steve Wiltfong noted late this summer that he believes Notre Dame is "setting the pace" with Addai, but it was still very early in his recruiting process. Notre Dame getting Addai (the No. 3 wideout and No. 6 overall talent in the 2028 class per the Rivals Industry Rank- ing) on campus this fall — as I believe will be the case — could have the Irish go from the early perceived leader to the definitive school to watch. He's an NFL legacy, and Notre Dame does with those recruits. Addai seems like a total Notre Dame- type kid as well from everything I gather. Addai's first visit to South Bend in the spring went well; a fall visit could put the Irish over the top. Sources in are very optimistic about this recruitment. Four-Star RB Zaiden Jernigan, Louisville (Miss.) High In the 2020 class, Notre Dame signed its first prospect from Mississippi in a decade. Caleb Offord's time in a Fight- ing Irish uniform was short, and Missis- sippi hasn't become a hotbed for Irish recruiting, to say the least. But that won't deter Notre Dame from finding the best talent in the country that suits its program, and the staff is in hot pur- suit of Jernigan, the No. 2 running back and No. 29 overall player in the 2028 class per Rivals. The elite talent has several visits scheduled this fall, including a return trip to South Bend Nov. 7 for the all-im- portant Miami game. Florida, Ole Miss, Ohio State, Mississippi State, Alabama, Indiana, Auburn and Oklahoma will also play host to Jernigan. With Jernigan seeing so many pro- grams this fall, Notre Dame's home at- mosphere will need to stand out to him for the Irish to continue as a top con- tender in his recruitment. Four-Star TE Theo Schott, Zionsville (Ind.) High Schott is currently on Blue & Gold Illustrated's visitor list for the Miami game, and it would come as little sur- prise if he made it in for another game or two, especially early in the year. The reason for listing Schott (the No. 9 tight end and No. 234 overall recruit in the 2028 class per the Rivals Industry Rank- ing) in this story is simple — he's on commit watch for this fall. Whether he visits early in the sea- son or his first Notre Dame visit this fall occurs for the Miami game, I could see Schott coming off the board. Notre Dame is in a really strong early position for him. ✦ F O O T B A L L RECRUITING Five Recruitments Notre Dame Could Make Big Moves In This Fall Hosting five-star Jaylen Addai, the son of former NFL running back Joseph Addai, on a visit this fall could put the Irish over the top in his recruit- ment. Addai is Rivals' No. 3 wide receiver and No. 6 overall player in the class of 2028. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS