Dallas Golden came to Notre Dame last summer with a simple goal: find a way onto the field, wherever the staff would take him. That flexibility was part of his appeal from the start. The freshman from Berkeley Prep in Tampa, Fla., was willing to work at multiple spots in the secondary and even try his hand on offense if that was the fastest path to playing time.
"I'm trying to get on the field anywhere," Golden said before enrolling. "Whatever coach feels like I can play, I'm going to give it a go."
Golden, a 6-foot-1, 191-pound athlete, arrived as the No. 92 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the class of 2025. Notre Dame saw a player with the kind of versatility that could fit at defensive back or wide receiver, and Golden made it clear he was open to either direction.
"I really don't have a preference at all," Golden said. "Whatever.
I believe in myself, and I have the confidence. God gave me the talent.
I believe I can do whatever on the field at any position."
In the end, the Irish kept him on defense, and that decision paid off quickly. Golden played in 10 games as a true freshman and logged 311 snaps at Nickel and cornerback. He was often called on to cover for injured starters DeVonta Smith and Leonard Moore, and he finished with 22 tackles, two pass breakups, an interception, two quarterback pressures and five Pro Football Focus stops.
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Notre Dame Freshman Jakobe Clapper Faces Immediate Fall Camp Pressure
Jakobe Clapper arrives at Notre Dame with the kind of rsum that usually buys a little patience, but fall camp is going to test how quickly that can translate into a role. The freshman linebacker was a 2026 Maxwell Football Club High School All-American and a four-star recruit, yet he missed spring practice and now has to catch up in a room where every rep matters and the competition is already fierce.
Clappers task is less about making a splash right away than proving he can stay healthy, absorb the defense and carve out a path in a crowded linebacker group. His earliest contribution is likely to come in a more limited capacity, with special teams offering the cleanest opening while he works toward a bigger defensive opportunity down the line. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Fans Will Love Which Tigers Legend Made EAs Big Reveal
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The bigger change may be how those cards develop, with Skill Points, Dynamic Upgrade Paths and the ability to respec items all reshaping the way Ultimate Team works from the start. Among the first wave of featured names, one of the most recognizable Notre Dame figures is already in the mix, a reminder that this mode is leaning hard into college football history while leaving plenty of room for the rest of the reveal to unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Missed On A Defensive Back It Really Wanted
Greedy James was one of the defensive backs Notre Dame had circled in the 2027 class, but the safety instead chose a different path after first decommitting from Texas and then committing to LSU. The move gives the Tigers another notable addition in the secondary and closes the door on a player the Irish had been pursuing as part of their early work in that cycle.
LSUs official visit clearly made an impression, and Notre Dame will have to keep pushing elsewhere as it builds out the class. The Irish still have other defensive back commitments in 2027, and the staff is expected to keep working the board in that group while also turning attention to the 2028 class. [Read more 🡒]