Recruiting Recap: Multiple Irish Invasion Attendees Land Offers Following Camp

Bruce Straughan
Jun 10
5 min read

Notre Dame held its annual Irish Invasion Camp this past Friday with Class of 2027 and 2028 recruits raving about the experience they had while on campus. Multiple recruits received offers at the end of camp. I was able to speak with a few of them to find out how camp went and what it means to them to receive an offer from Notre Dame.

Photo by The Irish Tribune

As you can imagine, every one of them was thrilled to get an offer and expressed how much it meant to them individually and why.

C/O 2028 Edge Jackson Vaughn had a great time at Irish Invasion and came away with a quote from Head Coach Marcus Freeman that really stuck with him.

"The quote of the day for me from Coach Freeman was: “Notre Dame is not for everybody”. I appreciated that he said this. There are high expectations and demands both athletically and academically at Notre Dame. You can’t sugar coat it. Not every kid is built to accept the rigor of both. I love it! I’m a person who thrives on being pushed and challenged every day. There’s personal growth that happens when those things occur. I’m a curious learner, so I often challenge ideas, thoughts, and processes, but I also expect to be challenged as well. Iron sharpens iron. That’s how you get better and optimize your full potential."

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Jackson felt his time at Irish Invasion went great, and described his favorite part of the day were the 1v1 drills, which allowed him to compete, which he loved the most.

"The day went great! My favorite part of the day at the Irish Invasion was the 1v1s. I love to compete. I was able to go up against some great offensive linemen and get better."

He came away from the camp landing an offer from Notre Dame, something he told me means a lot to him.

"It means a lot to land an offer from Notre Dame. Coaches at this program don’t just hand out offers, especially to rising sophomores like myself. When they offer prospective football players, it means something, so I felt extremely blessed to receive the offer from Coach Al Washington. I’m excited about building a relationship with the coaches and players, and getting more familiar with the school/program. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to come to a game in the fall."

C/O 2028 CB Phoenix Evans felt his time at Irish Invasion was an overall great experience, where he was able to represent his home state of New Jersey and continue to build a relationship with the coaches.

"The Irish Invasion overall was a great experience. It was good competition there, and a good handful of NJ guys. I feel we all represented the state of New Jersey well. My favorite part of the experience was the grill and chill cookout, where each position group had a grill contest. That was the time we had to really bond with the coaches. That was my opportunity to continue to build with Coach Mickens and Coach Ash."

Phoenix is another player who came away from camp with an offer from the Irish, which means a lot to him. He believes that it would be an easy transition from his current high school, as they share some similarities.

"It means a lot to receive an offer from Notre Dame because I feel it would be an easy transition there from Don Bosco Prep. Marcus Freeman continues to say that Notre Dame isn’t for everyone, and part of that is because of the culture there. That's something I’m already used to. Besides that, having a chance to play for a team that will always have a shot to win the national championship is huge."

C/O 2028 DE Asher Ghioto enjoyed his time getting to watch the coaches coach and the conversations he was able to have with them. Their attention to detail and their hands-on approach to the camp were something that stuck with him.

"I really enjoyed watching Coach Washington and Coach Sebastian coach us up, and we had some great conversations. They are awesome and teach a lot. I also really liked how they were very hands-on and kept making sure the drills were done correctly. I was able to talk to Coach Freeman for a bit, and he is awesome. He kept talking about how I should "come home" and be a part of the Notre Dame family."

Asher Ghioto is another player who came away from camp with an offer from the coaches, something that means a lot, not only to him but also to his family.

"This means a lot to me and my family to get this offer. I come from a big Catholic family, so this meant a lot to all of us. The traditions and the atmosphere at Notre Dame are one of a kind! I'm super excited to build a relationship with the coaching staff!"

C/O 2028 LB Allen Kennett V believes his time at camp went really well, and it was a great experience for him getting to compete against other great players.

"The camp went really well, and it was a great place to compete among other great players. My favorite part of the camp was the competition period at the end, where the best of the camp competed. I just really fell in love with the energy and the atmosphere."

Landing an offer after camp from the coaches is something he tells me means a lot to him. His love for the structure, history, and tradition of Notre Dame makes this offer that much sweeter for him.

"It means a lot to land an offer from Notre Dame. I love the school and the structure, as well as the history and tradition of Notre Dame. I’m excited to get back up to Notre Dame a few more times this year to check it all out and take in the full experience of what it has to offer."

C/O 2027 Edge Chaz Gray told me that he believes camp went very well for him, where he was able to showcase his talents to all the coaches, something that means a lot to him.

"The camp went very well, I got to showcase my talents to all the coaches and my favorite part was the competitive spirit and the 1v1s because I got to show the whole camp who I am and what I am capable of."

Landing an offer from the Notre Dame coaches means a lot to Chaz and he believes it is a great school that shapes for football and life beyond.

"Landing this offer means a lot to me seeing as it is a great school because they shape you for the future beyond football."

Each and every one of these recruits made an impression on the staff, and you can see why. They are all very humble, hard-working athletes who not only made an impression on the field but also with their conversations with the staff off the field. It will be exciting to continue to watch their growth and progression as athletes and to see if Notre Dame will be the place they call home in the future.