Marcus Freeman isn’t trying to make recruiting sound like some secret formula. For him, the pitch at Notre Dame starts and ends with the school itself.
That message has helped fuel a serious run on the trail in South Bend. Notre Dame signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country by Rivals/On3 last season, and the momentum has carried into the 2027 cycle, where the Irish already hold commitments from several top-end recruits.
Freeman talked about that success yesterday afternoon, and he made it clear he doesn’t see it as a personal victory. He sees it as a reflection of what Notre Dame offers and how strongly he and his staff believe in it.
"I truly believe when I say there's not a better opportunity for you to go to school and play college football than Notre Dame," Freeman shared. "I believe that and I hope our staff believes that.
When I speak to people about this program and what it offers a parent, your son or your child, I speak about it with passion because I believe in it. I believe your son and I believe you should go to Notre Dame."
That conviction has shown up in the classes Freeman has brought in. The 2024 group carries a lot of the roster’s star power, with quarterback CJ Carr, cornerback Leonard Moore, linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, safety Brauntae Johnson and offensive linemen Guerby Lambert and Anthonie Knapp among the names that stand out.
The 2023 class, meanwhile, is being treated as the backbone of this team. Middle linebacker Drayk Bowen, safety Adon Shuler, defensive end Boubacar Traore and cornerback Christian Gray are expected to help set the tone as Notre Dame pushes toward its 12th national title.
Freeman’s approach is built around fit, and he said that part of the process has to be handled early and honestly.
"We've got to identify the ones that aren't going to fit here and don't want the things we're offering," Freeman explained about the recruiting process. "The quicker you can identify that, the quicker you can move on. You can tell through their responses, their communication and their follows ups which recruits are really interested and which ones are not."
Of course, the sales pitch only works if the product on the field backs it up. Notre Dame’s recent run has done exactly that.
Freeman is 24-4 over the last two seasons and coached the Irish to the national championship game in 2024. Last season ended with a 10-game winning streak, and the program set modern-day records in points per game, yards per play and passer efficiency rating.
Freeman said that kind of success has helped Notre Dame reach more recruits than before.
"Did playing in a national championship game in the last year help get more eyes on us? Yeah, I believe that," Freeman stated.
"I hear that from recruits. Their parents know about Notre Dame; the national championship made us, I don't know, a little cooler I suppose.
Then, the following year, we had a good year, but I know we didn't finish the way we wanted. But it's gotten them to the point where they want to go see Notre Dame."
The Irish aren’t done yet in the 2027 cycle. Brother Rice defensive tackle Brayden Parks is set to decide tomorrow between Notre Dame and the Oregon Ducks, and Freeman’s recruiting machine is still rolling as the class closes in.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Suddenly Has A Real Shot At Needed Receiver Help
Notre Dames receiver search suddenly has a more intriguing name attached to it, and it comes with a built-in connection to the program. Mylan Graham, a highly regarded Indiana prospect who signed with Ohio State, spent two seasons buried in a crowded receiver room before the Buckeyes offensive staff changed and the portal opened a new door. Once he entered, Graham quickly reached out to Notre Dame through safety Tae Johnson, a childhood friend who gave him a direct line into a program still looking for help at the position.
The appeal is not hard to see from Notre Dames side. Graham and Johnson both grew up in Fort Wayne, crossed paths in youth leagues and worked with the same trainer, Dre Muhammad, so this is not some late-arriving recruiting relationship built on a quick phone call. Graham has also pointed to Johnsons success and the trust Notre Dame has shown in him as part of what makes the Irish stand out, which gives this pursuit a little more substance than a typical transfer-market flyer. [Read more 🡒]
CJ Carr Is Entering The Same Heisman Talk As College Football's Biggest Names
The early Heisman conversation for next season already has the usual heavyweight names attached to it, and Arch Manning remains part of that group even after a first year at Texas that was solid more than spectacular. The former five-star arrived with enormous expectations, but the Longhorns 10-3 finish and some uneven moments along the way have taken a little shine off the runaway hype that once surrounded him.
Even so, Manning is still one of the most visible quarterbacks in the sport, and the same broad field of contenders now includes Notre Dames CJ Carr. For the Irish, that is a sign of how quickly Carr has moved into national relevance, even as the broader race remains fluid and the real separating line between preseason buzz and true Heisman traction still has to be written. [Read more 🡒]
How Anthonie Knapp Became A Cornerstone In Notre Dame's Line Reset
Anthonie Knapp arrived at Notre Dame as an interior lineman in the 2024 freshman class, but the Irish needed him on the edge almost immediately. Injuries and other personnel changes pushed him into the starting left tackle job, and over two seasons and 27 starts he went from emergency solution to one of the most important pieces on the offensive line.
Now the next adjustment has sent Knapp back inside, where the Irish are reworking the front again in 2026. His move to guard fits the kind of versatility Notre Dame has come to value from him, and it also speaks to how much trust the staff has in a player who has kept improving every time they have asked him to learn something new. [Read more 🡒]