Notre Dame’s early pitch to Cayden Gould is already landing, and Jeremiyah Love may be part of the reason why.
Gould, one of the top running backs in the 2029 class, said he was fired up to hear from Marcus Freeman and the Irish after Notre Dame extended a scholarship offer. The connection is still in its early stages, but the interest is clearly mutual.
“I was very excited,” Gould said. “I know about the program and the players they develop like Jeremiyah Love and everybody else at the position. I was just really excited.”
Notre Dame earned that offer after Gould stood out at a satellite camp at Florida International University. According to Gould, the staff told him they had come specifically to evaluate him and liked what they saw.
He also spoke with running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider and came away impressed with the man who would be coaching him if things ever get that far.
“He's a really good coach. He developed a lot of backs in his time at Notre Dame and at Penn State.”
For now, the next step is getting Gould to South Bend. He said he hopes to visit and take in a game or two, though his immediate focus remains on his own development.
“Hopefully I get to go up there and see them play, get to a couple games,” Gould said. “But right now I'm just focused on getting better and getting ready for the season this year.”
The 6-foot-0, 195-pound back from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, is another sign that Notre Dame’s Florida recruiting push is stretching into future classes. The Irish have already built momentum with Florida players in the 2027 cycle, and Gould’s interest shows that reach is carrying forward.
He doesn’t have recruiting rankings yet, but the offer list is already deep. Along with Notre Dame, Gould has offers from California, Florida, Florida A&M, Florida State, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Howard, Louisville, LSU, Memphis, Miami, Michigan, NC State, SMU, South Florida, Southern Miss, Texas State, UConn, and UTSA.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Freshmen Are Already Creating A New Defensive Debate
Notre Dames latest recruiting haul is already giving the defense something to talk about before the season even gets going. The 2026 class sits at No. 1 nationally in the On3/Rivals rankings, and a few of the freshmen have turned heads in spring work, especially on the defensive line and in the secondary. Rodney Dunham and Joey OBrien were among the names drawing the most attention, while the staff has also liked the early promise from other highly rated newcomers as it starts to picture what this group could become.
The interesting part is how quickly the conversation has shifted from long-term upside to possible near-term roles. Injuries have kept some of those freshmen from getting a full spring showcase, but Notre Dame still sounds confident that this class can help shape the depth chart sooner rather than later. If the early flashes carry into fall camp, the real debate may not be whether the Irish have enough talent in this group, but which first-year defenders are ready to force their way into the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
National Analyst Just Made A Bold Notre Dame Defense Claim
College football analyst David Pollack has Notre Dames linebacker group drawing real national attention heading into the 2026 season, and it is not hard to see why. The Fighting Irish bring back a unit built around Jaiden Ausberry, Drayk Bowen and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, three players who were central to the teams tackling production last season and helped make linebackers one of the defining strengths of the defense.
That kind of continuity matters for a Notre Dame defense that already finished last season ranked among the nations better units and should get another boost from the return of cornerback Leonard Moore. Pollacks take puts the spotlight on a room that has experience, production and plenty of upside, and it leaves the bigger question hanging over South Bend: just how far can that group carry the Irish if it plays up to the billing? [Read more 🡒]
Former Walk-On Luke Talich Has Become A Notre Dame Difference Maker
Luke Talichs rise has been one of the quieter success stories in South Bend, the kind that usually starts on special teams and slowly works its way into the defensive conversation. The senior safety came in as a walk-on, earned a scholarship, and kept building trust with the staff by showing up in the right spots and doing the little things that keep a defense steady.
Now Talich looks like more than a depth piece. He has added muscle, broadened his game and given Notre Dame a versatile defender who can handle responsibilities at safety and in different package looks for coordinator Chris Ash, including work as a strong-side outside linebacker option. For a defense looking for reliable pieces it can move around, Talich has become the sort of player coaches lean on when the game plan gets specific. [Read more 🡒]