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Midterm Recruiting Grades - Offense: Notre Dame Passes with Flying Colors

Fans were hopeful that Marcus Freeman's lack of experience when hired would be countered by immense success on the recruiting trail. After incredible success on the field in 2024, Freeman and the staff's ability to recruit in 2025 has also reached new heights.

Mike Brown

Photo by The Irish Tribune


Notre Dame's 2026 recruiting class currently ranks fourth in the country, with much of the class already filled out. Like most years under Freeman, the prioritization of relationship building early in the cycle has positioned Notre Dame well as the summer progresses. Now would be a great time to grade out how the Irish have filled out their class. Let's start on offense.


Quarterback: A


Make no mistake about it, Gino Guidugli can recruit with the best of them. The Irish secured the commitment of Noah Grubbs early in the cycle, and unlike Deuce Knight last cycle, there doesn't seem to be any indication that Grubbs is focused on anything other than Notre Dame.


Grubbs, a composite 4-star out of Lake Mary High School, has been committed to the Irish since last June. In his junior season, Grubbs tossed for over 3,000 yards and 37 touchdowns, leading Lake Mary to a 12-3 record overall. He shows great upside as a passer and possesses a frame that should translate well at the next level. Grubbs will continue to hone his skills as a passer for one more year and looks set to eclipse over 10,000 passing yards in his high school career before heading to South Bend. A great effort from Gino Guidugli and Marcus Freeman in making Grubbs a priority early on has cemented him in the class.


As Grubbs told us after he committed last June:

“I’ve been to Notre Dame several times now, and each time feels more and more special. The fact that they chose me to be their guy is an honor in itself. Every time I’m there, the coaches make me feel like their top priority, regardless of whoever else is on campus. The first time I was there last summer, they offered me a scholarship, and I wasn’t expecting it. The second time I was there was for the Ohio State game, and I was the only 2026 recruit invited, so I knew they really valued me as a player. Then, before the game, Coach Freeman skipped all the recruits, came up to my QB trainer and I and said, “Glad we got you here, now let’s keep you here.” That statement, combined with my QB Trainer's relationship with Coach Gino, made my experience at Notre Dame that much better than anywhere else I’ve been.”

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Running Back: A+


Replacing Deland McCullough would be no small feat for Marcus Freeman, but getting the man who developed the best running back tandem in college football last season seems to be paying dividends no matter how you slice it.


Ja'Juan Seider hit the ground running at Notre Dame, and it didn't take him very long to secure his top targets in the class. Javian Osborne and Jonaz Walton are two of the most talented backs in the class, and getting both on board is what helps make a good class an elite one.


Osborne, the first of the two to commit to the Fighting Irish, was down to Notre Dame and Michigan before ultimately choosing the Irish. Last season, the 4-star talent out of Forney, TX, unleashed for over 1,000 yards on the ground and capped the year with 21 touchdowns, averaging 7 yards per carry. He has also been one of the most vocal recruiters in Notre Dame's class, pushing other highly touted recruits toward the Fighting Irish on social media. It should also be no surprise that he's a huge advocate of Ja'Juan Seider, as he told us after committing:

"Coach Seider has been real with me from day one. He’s more than just a coach, he’s someone who genuinely cares about me as a person. We’ve built a strong bond, and I know I can trust him to push me and help me reach my full potential as a young man, ball player, and student athlete."

Walton, in a similar fashion, committed to Notre Dame shortly after Osborne. A product of Carrollton, GA, Walton has also been tearing it up at the high school level. Last season, he amassed nearly 1,400 rushing yards with 646 receiving yards to boot. The two of them will be making life a living nightmare for front sevens for years to come. Full marks on this one.


Offensive Line: A+


After the concerning number of injuries that plagued the Irish up front last season, as well as the loss of meaningful depth to the transfer portal, the importance of recruiting offensive linemen cannot be understated. Joe Rudolph certainly understood the assignment this cycle and gets full marks for his efforts.


Notre Dame's offensive line class features plenty of size and skill from the midwest with Sullivan Garvin, Ben Nichols, Grayson McKeogh, Gregory Patrick, Charlie Thom, and Tyler Merrill all in the fold. A class this deep up front will undoubtedly serve the Irish well moving forward, and the effort on the trail put forth by Rudolph should be commended. Offensive line recruiting hasn't historically been a stickler for Notre Dame, and nothing has changed here.


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Wide Receiver: A-


There's no sugarcoating it; last cycle's wide receiver recruiting just wasn't good enough, and I think Mike Brown took it personally this time around. Last July, Notre Dame was in prime position to land three of their top targets at the position in Derek Meadows, Dylan Robinson, and Tanook Hines. Ultimately, they ended up with none of these players in the class.


This cycle, Brown kicked things off early by securing the commitment of Dylan Faison, brother of current WR Jordan Faison, and if he ends up being anything like his brother, Notre Dame is sure to have another great slot option on their hands. Uber-electrifying playmaker Bubba Frazier also joined the fold, and has soared up the recruiting rankings due to his stellar play on the field. The fireworks rolled onward over the Fourth of July weekend, as Mike Brown flipped the script from last cycle and went 3-for-3. He secured the commitments of Devin Fitzgerald, Kaydon Finley, and Brayden Robinson on a three-day run. These players were all key targets for the Irish, and they certainly didn't settle for anyone.


Blue chip talent at the receiver position is not a luxury for Notre Dame, it's a necessity. Great job from Mike Brown this cycle in getting his guys. What I will say is that I would like to see Notre Dame recruit some more height on the outside. Although they can chase this in the portal like they did this year with Malachi Fields, a true red zone threat like Chase Claypool or Miles Boykin is something I'd like to see them target moving forward on the trail. The average height of the wide receiver commits in this class is 5'11", so getting some more size should definitely be a priority moving forward.


Tight End: A+


It's hard to give the tight end position anything other than full marks. When the Irish secured the commitment of Preston Fryzel, he was a highly underrated prospect and an incredible receiving threat. He's since earned some respect in the recruiting rankings and would have been an amazing get on his own.


When Ian Premer committed, that really kicked things up a notch. Premer is viewed as a top-50 recruit overall in the country, and securing a commitment like that at any position is a huge deal. The Irish weren't viewed as the favorite to land Premer through the majority of his recruitment, and beat out in-state favorite Kansas State to land him. These aren't recruiting battles that Notre Dame has a good track record in winning, so a narrative-altering commitment certainly will give Notre Dame some palpable momentum on the trail moving forward. Mike Denbrock knows a thing or two about developing tight ends, and when a high-floor prospect like Premer enters the building, it's the dream scenario. I'd argue that this is the best tight end class in the country.


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