Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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PREP PROFILES BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 31, 2026 43 Zionsville (Ind.) High's Theo Schott already planned to visit Notre Dame for the Miami game, but the four-star tight end prospect added a second South Bend trip to his fall itinerary to see the Irish face Stanford Oct. 10. Schott, the No. 10 tight end and No. 192 overall player nationally per Ri- vals, noted that because there will be so many prospects in town for the Miami game, it's going to be hectic. But coming in for the Stanford game, which did not have as many key targets, allowed him to spend more time with the coaching staff and get a tour of the new facility. "It was really fun," Schott said of his latest Notre Dame v i s i t . " T h e o f- fense dominated that game; they were firing on all cylinders. It was awesome to see the offense continuing to grow and get better. I got to see the new facility and build stronger relationships with the coaching staff. "[Shields Hall] was a lot bigger in per- son than I expected. Seeing it on videos doesn't do it justice. It's such a big im- provement; I'm sure the players love it." There are many aspects of Notre Dame that make M a r c u s Fr e e - man's program a top contender in Schott's recruit- ment. One of them is the staff — how hard they're recruiting Schott and the relationships they have with him. "I spent a lot of time with Carter [Au- man]," said Schott, mentioning Notre Dame's director of recruiting. "He showed me around. We had some re- ally good talks, and I had a conversation with Coach [Mike] Denbrock before the game. I talked to Coach [Harris] Bivin for a bit, and I got to say hi to Coach Freeman after the game. It was cool to see the energy with the guys in the locker room after a win. "We've been keeping in a lot of com- munication, which I love. I've been hop- ping on FaceTimes, calls, texts — a lot of different things. We're keeping connected and building a strong relationship." Along with coming back for the Mi- ami game, Schott planned to visit In- diana for its pivotal game against Ohio State Oct. 17. He'll see Oregon and Vanderbilt later in the season, and he's eyeing Texas Tech, Iowa and Florida as potential trips to add, too. "After this season, I'll have a good gauge on my top three or five schools," Schott added. "I'm taking it day by day and not trying to force anything. I'm enjoying these cool college games I get to go to." — Mike Singer Dominick Harris-Payne of Lakeland (Fla.) High made his first visit to Notre Dame, which marked a major moment in his recruiting process. Not only was it his first time up in South Bend, but it was his first time leaving the Florida for a visit. Harris-Payne, the No. 35 cornerback and No. 292 overall player nationally per Rivals, saw Notre Dame demolish Stanford 58-7 and spent more time on campus the following day to tour the university. He also stayed at Shields Hall Oct. 12 to see how the team operates on a practice day. "It was an overall great experience," Harris-Payne said of his visit. "It's a different atmosphere up here. It's been really good to see a place that's different from home. The whole staff is so nice, and the campus is amazing. I've been blown away by this entire trip." The four-star prospect loved his con- versations with defensive backs coaches Aaron Henry and Jevaughn Codlin, as well as head coach Marcus Freeman. "All of those guys, and I got to speak with the head man himself," Harris- Payne said. "Everyone has been amaz- ing — warm and welcoming. Everyone is pushing toward the same goal of a na- tional championship. I can't stop saying it — there's a really great atmosphere up here. It's really competitive as well. I love what they have going on at Notre Dame. "I loved talking with Coach Freeman. He has a very calm demeanor and is very well spoken. You can tell he has great morals and wants the best for his play- ers and recruits. He's an amazing man and coach." Notre Dame's great success in recent years has caught Harris-Payne's attention — so has the "Florida Dame" movement. "It definitely has, and I love the fact that they have some Florida guys there," he said. "Both of the defensive backs coaches are from Florida as well, which speaks volumes to me." It's still early in Harris-Payne's re- cruitment, but it seems that the Irish will be a top contender for the long haul based on how well the visit went. "Oh yes, for sure," he said. "They were already on my radar, but now it's amped up by 1,000 times. When I nar- row down my list, they're going to be one of the schools in the mix for sure. "I want to see what every school has to offer. I really have enjoyed my time at Notre Dame." — Mike Singer Indiana's Top 2028 Recruit Is High On The Irish First Notre Dame Visit Impresses Four-Star Florida Corner THEO SCHOTT ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Zionsville H.S. Zionsville, Ind. Status: Offered Class: 2028 Position: Tight end Ht.: 6-3½ • Wt.: 218 Rivals Rankings: No. 1 player in Indiana, and No. 10 tight end and No. 192 overall player nationally DOMINICK HARRIS-PAYNE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Lakeland H.S. Lakeland, Fla. Status: Offered Class: 2028 Position: Cornerback Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 165 Rivals Rankings: No. 37 player in Florida, and No. 35 cornerback and No. 292 overall player nationally "It was really fun... The offense dominated that game; they were firing on all cylinders. SCHOTT