Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 3, 2026 45 BY MIKE SINGER I nstead of calling it a recruiting office, the new term to use in college football is a "personnel department" with the sport changing over the past few years. Rather than focusing mainly on send- ing out mail to high school juniors and seniors, sending out "good luck on your game" graphics and communicating with recruits via daily text messages and phone calls, the group now seems to be structured more like an NFL front office. The old-school recruiting activities still exist, but the personnel department is bigger than ever — specifically on the talent acquisition side. Blue & Gold Illustrated spoke with three agents who represent Irish players or commits to get their thoughts on inter- acting with the Notre Dame staff — both personnel and coaches. LATISH KINSLER, PRESIDENT OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS, LIFESTYLE SPORTS AGENCY Kinsler represents Notre Dame wide receiver Quincy Porter, and his strong connections with the Irish personnel department helped Marcus Freeman's program stay in the game with five-star Oluwasemilore Olubobola. The elite class of 2027 offensive tackle prospect committed to Notre Dame in May. Kinsler's worked closely with general manager Mike Martin, assistant general manager Kenny Sanders and director of scouting DJ Bryant. "Each of those gentlemen has a genu- ine care for the student-athletes," Kin- sler said. "College football is a busi- ness, but those men have a heart for the kids, and it's not strictly about what the player can do for a program. They act with character and honesty." Bryant and Sanders joined the Fight- ing Irish staff earlier this year after working at Penn State for a few years. "Kenny is someone I really respect, and he does a great job of communicat- ing with me on the agent side," Kinsler added. "That's something that's newer in the college football landscape; the play- ers have representation. Kenny does a great job being involved in that process. "DJ being a former player brings relat- ability to the athletes about what expec- tations are, and he can understand when the kids are going through things. He can be hands-on with his background; DJ is great with those relationships. The play- ers gravitate toward him." Kinsler and Martin's communication began during the 2026 recruiting cycle when defensive back Jordan Thomas, who eventually chose Ohio State, was considering the Irish. "Mike having an NFL background is great for evaluating talent, and I really value that," Kinsler added. "We've es- tablished a really good and honest line of communication." WILL GRAGG, DIRECTOR OF NIL AND CLIENT SERVICES FOR MILK & HONEY SPORTS Pitt defensive tackle transfer Fran- cis Brewu considered Indiana and Ohio State before picking Notre Dame in Jan- uary, and Gragg represents him. "Working with the Notre Dame staff was nothing short of a pleasure," Gragg told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "Coach Freeman, Mike Martin, Chris Ash and Charlie Partridge are class acts and em- body every positive aspect of this sport and process. They were hospitable, con- genial and veracious. I can't say enough good things about those men." Gragg continued to rave about Par- tridge in particular, while adding that communicating with Ash, Notre Dame's defensive coordinator, was "amazing." "I had a relationship with Coach Par- tridge already; he was the defensive line coach at Pitt while I was a tight end, so the conversation was natural," Gragg contin- ued. "He is one of the best — if not the best — defensive line coaches in the country. "He showed Francis how he could help make him one of the best defensive line- men in the country. So, we were all in." CORY LEVIN, LEAD NIL AGENT FOR VYRO TALENT Levin represents Bolingbrook (Ill.) High's Darieon Prescott, the No. 9 and No. 53 overall prospect in America per the 2028 Rivals Industry Ranking. In July, Prescott announced his commit- ment to Notre Dame on The Pat McAfee Show, and Levin was sitting at the table with Prescott when the elite prospect announced his big news. "Working with the Notre Dame staff was really easy from start to finish, and that's remained the case even after committing," Levin said. "Not only do they have a great staff from Mike Martin to DJ Bryant on the internal side, but the coaches did a great job communicating the plan for developing players as well." Partridge was a key figure in convinc- ing Prescott to pick Notre Dame, while the personnel department worked well with Levin on all of the details. "One thing that stuck out was their commitment that when they say they will do something — they do it on time and exactly how they said they would," Levin added. "This is not the case sometimes with other schools. Especially DJ Bryant — he made me and Darieon's family feel incredibly comfortable from Day 1. "Mike Martin really impressed me with his approach. He was clear in what he was looking for but also went above and beyond to make sure Darieon was a priority. Ultimately those two guys really sealed the deal for us, and I look forward to working with them in the future." ✦ F O O T B A L L RECRUITING After joining the program in January 2026 from Penn State, Notre Dame director of scouting DJ Bryant has quickly established a strong reputa- tion through his interactions with recruits and their families. PHOTO BY JEFF DOUGLASS Notre Dame Staff Earns The Respect Of College Football Agents