SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame still doesn’t know when it will be able to reopen its recruiting doors, with college football stuck in a dead period now set to run through May. It’s still waiting to learn how evolving transfer rules could impact recruiting departments that have recently been limited to Zoom calls and a handful of unofficial-unofficial visits, trips where prospects visits campus without actually interacting with members of the football program.
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These realities create new challenges for recruiting coordinator Mike Elston, who returned to that role this month, replacing Brian Polian in the post. What will Notre Dame need? How much can Notre Dame add? And where will Notre Dame turn to answer both those questions?
The Irish are still working all this out during a time when adaptability is a recruiting necessity. But no matter where Notre Dame’s recruiting approach takes it, these 14 prospects in the 2022 class figure to shape how the Irish feel about what’s coming next.
Wide receiver Kaleb Brown
Most recruiting cycles don’t include four-star receivers from Chicago who are also top-50 overall prospects. On top of that, Brown plays at St. Rita, a school that regularly sends students down the Indiana Toll Road to South Bend. At No. 56 in the 247Sports Composite, Brown would represent the highest-rated offensive skill player to sign with Notre Dame in the Rivals/247 era. Only offensive lineman Chris Watt and quarterback Demetrius Jones were ranked higher than Brown’s current position.
Tommy Rees and Del Alexander are leading Notre Dame’s recruiting push, with the competition a national group that includes Alabama, Ohio State, Florida and Michigan. There are other receivers on Notre Dame’s board with top measurables, including Tyler Morris of Nazareth Academy, the alma mater of Julian Love. Penn State commitment Kaden Saunders remains a top Notre Dame target, too. Pulling the top prospect out of Illinois, though, would be a signal of intent as the Irish look to push forward in recruiting.
Linebacker Sebastian Cheeks
Similar to Brown at receiver, it’s rare for four-star linebackers to pop up in Notre Dame’s backyard like Cheeks from Evanston, just north of Chicago. Cheeks has already seen Notre Dame in person, which is good place to start. The Clark Lea-to-Marcus Freeman transition doesn’t seem to have slowed any momentum on Notre Dame’s side. If the Irish could land Cheeks and Niuafe Tuihalamaka to go with committed four-star Nolan Ziegler of Michigan, it would represent a big win for Freeman in his first full cycle as defensive coordinator.
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The competition for Cheeks seems more regional than national, with much of the Big Ten involved, although Stanford and Texas are on the offer list. Notre Dame’s biggest competition might be Wisconsin. Cheeks’ junior season is scheduled to kick off next month after Illinois canceled fall football last season due to COVID-19 concerns.
Cornerback Jaeden Gould
The No. 2 player in New Jersey and a top-20 cornerback, Gould is a prep teammate of quarterback target Steve Angeli at Bergen Catholic. Gould recently included Notre Dame in his top six, which is a good start. The other five to make Gould’s cut? USC, Michigan, Clemson, Penn State and Rutgers. That’s a national list, which represents difficult competition. But that list also shows a willingness to look beyond the Northeast. Marcus Freeman has been involved with Gould since coming aboard, and that connection should keep the four-star cornerback listening. Even after loading up on defensive backs the past two cycles, the Irish need more help in the back of the defense. There are a handful of other prospects in play — watch Ohio State commitment Jyaire Brown — who can meet Irish needs, but Gould would be a coup if Notre Dame can make it happen.
Defensive tackle Anthony Lucas
A fringe five-star prospect on 247Sports and a solid four-star on Rivals, the defensive tackle from outside Phoenix rates among the top interior targets on Notre Dame’s board, a position that has been well-recruited in recent cycles but needs reinforcement. Lucas’ offer list includes Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas and USC, checking the boxes as a national prospect. At nearly 6-foot-5 and 279 pounds, Lucas would follow a recent trend of Notre Dame recruiting longer athletes in the middle of the defense after taking Gabriel Rubio and Rylie Mills the past two cycles. Without a visit on the books, it’s hard to stake out Notre Dame’s position with Lucas in terms of his interest, but if he books a Midwest trip to see campus without seeing the football program during the dead period, Notre Dame might be in a strong position.
Safety Xavier Nwankpa
The nation’s No. 1 safety according to 247Sports, Nwankpa is the rare potential five-star skill position player from the Midwest. The Iowa product has all of college football after him, including offers from Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State. The Irish offered during the winter evaluation period, but it’s hard to know where they stand during the dead period. Still, with Kyle Hamilton to put on a recruiting poster and a couple appearances in the College Football Playoff, Notre Dame should have a puncher’s chance moving forward. The Irish aren’t short on targets at safety next cycle, but landing Nwankpa would be an incredible boost to the back of the defense. It would be a major introduction for new safeties coach Chris O’Leary, too.
Offensive lineman Zach Rice
Notre Dame’s commitment to taking big recruiting swings means going for it with this five-star tackle from Lynchburg, Va. Everybody is already on the 6-foot-6, 282-pound Rice, who trains in the offseason with Notre Dame commitment Aiden Gobaira. Rice named Notre Dame in his top eight but has not yet seen South Bend. It’s not clear what impact that uncertainty could have on Notre Dame’s chances, as Rice has reportedly talked about deciding before the NCAA’s extended dead period lifts this summer.
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Winning the Rice sweepstakes would be a heavy lift for Notre Dame offensive line coach Jeff Quinn, who has done a strong job keeping Midwest talent home like Blake Fisher (Indiana) and Rocco Spindler (Michigan). Even 2021 tackle signee Caleb Johnson had Indiana roots, even if he lives in Florida. Rice would be a different kind of recruitment, a national prospect coveted by the other elites without any inside track for Notre Dame. The Irish already have a couple of four-star commitments on the offensive line for 2022 in Ty Chan (Massachusetts) and Joey Tanona (Indiana). Price would be a recruiting marker for Notre Dame.
Wide receiver Kaden Saunders
Notre Dame offered Saunders early, but the central Ohio prospect committed to Penn State in July. Since then, Saunders put up a 4.3 at the Best of the Midwest combine this winter, which turned heads at Alabama in the form of an offer. The Irish have continued to recruit Saunders throughout the process, which interest coming back. Considering how much the speed receiver has blown up in the past month, it’s a good bet he’s taking a moment to consider his best options. The Irish have not signed someone like Saunders in a few cycles, a pure speed player who can do a little bit of everything. With the receiver position turning over after this season, a shot at early playing time should be on the table for Notre Dame to sell.
Running backs Nicholas Singleton or Dallan Hayden
Despite landing four-star running back Jadarian Price from Texas last weekend, Notre Dame continues to push for a second back in this class, even after signing two last cycle. There are multiple names in play, but the biggest are two four-star prospects Notre Dame has been giving attention with multiple coaches over the past weeks.
Singleton has been a long-time target and recently jumped to No. 98 overall in the 247Sports Composite. He’s from Penn State country in Reading, Pa., but Ohio State is also involved. Hayden, a Tennessee legacy, sits at No. 238 overall. The Buckeyes are involved here, too, along with the Vols. Notre Dame’s success last season with Kyren Williams should be a selling point. Singleton or Hayden both appear to have the speed to balance out the power game of Price in this class. Running backs coach Lance Taylor has helped rebuild the running back room in short order.
Offensive lineman Billy Schrauth
Notre Dame usually gets want it wants when it comes to Midwest offensive lineman – except when Wisconsin is involved in the race for a Wisconsin prospect. That’s part of the intrigue with Schrauth of Fond du Lac, a four-star lineman with offers from Ohio State, Michigan and Stanford. Schrauth has already visited Notre Dame, which should keep the Irish in decent position moving forward through the dead period. However, Wisconsin has been putting smart pressure on Schrauth to stay home, and Madison can be an incredible tractor beam for in-state targets.
Wisconsin signed the top six in-state players last cycle and the state’s top four players the cycle before that. The last time Wisconsin failed to sign the No. 1 player in its home state was offensive lineman Ben Bredeson, a top Notre Dame target who signed with Michigan. That was six recruiting cycles ago.
Linebacker Niuafe Tuihalamaka
When Notre Dame offered the 6-foot-1, 238-pound middle linebacker from the northern reaches of Los Angeles in mid-January, the four-star prospect was still a USC commitment. Two days later, he wasn’t. Not that new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman needed an invitation to turn up the heat on Tuihalamaka, but he had one. Freeman has been all over Tuihalamaka ever since, working in concert with Brian Kelly to deepen Notre Dame’s connection.
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The fact that Stanford has also turned into a serious player in this recruitment should give Notre Dame confidence to keep going, considering the academic angle. Distance from home will be a hurdle for Notre Dame to overcome, but Tuihalamaka continues to listen to the Irish. At No. 83 overall in the 247Sports Composite, Tuihalamaka would be one of the highest-rated linebackers to sign with Notre Dame since Nyles Morgan eight cycles ago.
Defensive end DJ Wesolak
Notre Dame got ahead of the game with Wesolak as defensive line coach Mike Elston moved on the 6-foot-6, 230-pound pass rusher from the St. Louis area. Wesolak has a relationship with four-star commitment Tyson Ford, and Notre Dame would love it if they joined Elston’s room in South Bend together. Wesolak was bumped to a four-star prospect on 247Sports this week, with his offer list now reflecting his ability. In addition to Notre Dame, offers are in from Clemson, Texas, Oregon, Michigan, Oklahoma and Stanford.
The Irish seem to have distinguished themselves from that group so far, or at least kept themselves among Wesolak’s leaders. Among the players on this list, Wesolak rates among the better bets to eventually fall Notre Dame’s way as it stands today. In addition to Elston, Marcus Freeman and Brian Kelly have also put in time to boost Notre Dame’s cause.
Quarterbacks Gavin Wimsatt or Steve Angeli
Notre Dame made its first two quarterback offers last August to a couple of prospects with different recruiting profiles. Wimsatt comes from Owensboro, Ky., just across the Indiana border. Angeli plays at Bergen Catholic in northern New Jersey, a part of the country that can feel as much like Notre Dame’s backyard as Notre Dame’s actual backyard. Wimsatt is a high four-star prospect at No. 91 overall in the 247Sports Composite; Angeli is evaluated as a three-star at No. 368, seven spots away from four-star status in the 247Sports Composite as things stand today. But despite the rankings gap, it’s Angeli who holds the deeper offer list, with Ohio State, Penn State, LSU, Miami and Michigan included. Wimsatt has offers from Michigan and Oregon, but he’s also a top target for Louisville and Kentucky.
What does this mean for Notre Dame? Mainly that the Irish might wait on a commitment until Wimsatt can get to campus for a full look. Angeli has already seen Notre Dame and has ample Irish connections. Bottom line: Notre Dame needs a quarterback this cycle. Odds are high it will be one of these two.
(Photo: Alika Jenner / Getty Images)
