Notre Dame 2025 Recruiting Needs - Defense Edition

Notre Dame 2025 defensive recruiting is off to a tremendous start under Marcus Freeman. The Irish staff has already secured six commitments in the class, with even more big time players seemingly on the way.

At most positions, the board is stacked currently. Let’s break down where things stand. If the early buzz is any indication, Notre Dame has a chance to put together arguably their top defensive group under Coach Freeman so far.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Need: 5
Commit: DE CJ May, DE Joseph Reiff, DT Davion Dixon

Notre Dame defensive line recruiting is off to a strong start. The Irish currently hold three commitments, four if you include hybrid defender Dominik Hulak. So far that group fits together quite well.

You have May, who is an extremely talented pass rusher, and who projects to either end position. Reiff is another player who could potentially play two spots, big end right now but there is optimism that he could eventually grow into an interior player in similar fashion to what we saw from Rylie Mills. He has the type of frame that is very projectable.

The one projection that isn’t questioned at all is Dixon, who is your prototype interior defender in the Notre Dame system. Dixon is going to be asked to do a lot of the dirty work and hopefully add some penetration to boot.

Even if Hulak ends up on the defensive line long term, there is still a desire for the Irish to add two more defensive ends to the group. One is Chicago (Ill.) Simeon star Christopher Burgess, who is one of the more talented defensive ends in the 2025 recruiting class. The 6-4, 240-pound big end is set to make his college decision during the All-American Bowl on January 6th, and Notre Dame is considered a top contender, along with Ohio State, Michigan and Alabama.

The other player to know is Indianapolis (Ind.) Warren Central pass rusher Damien Shanklin, who projects best at Vyper. The Irish are considered the favorite for the in-state star, who has the twitch and explosiveness to develop into a big time pass rusher on the next level. If Notre Dame is able to close on both Burgess and Shanklin, that is a home run class up front.

LINEBACKER

Need: 3
Commit: LB Dominik Hulak

If you followed linebacker recruiting in the 2024 class, you know the staff kept a massive board and there didn’t seem to be a key indication for who were the priority targets all the time. The same is true in the 2025 class so far.

Hulak is technically the team’s first linebacker commit so far, although he is more of a hybrid defender who could also be a defensive end long term. As of now, there is a need for three linebackers in the class and Hulak might ultimately not be included in that number with his position flexibility.

There aren’t a lot of certainties on the board. One that we do know is the Irish staff likes Honolulu (Hawaii) Punahou linebacker Josiah Kia, who is slated to be in South Bend in January along with his older brother Kahanu Kia, who is returning from an LDS mission. The younger Kia is a rover body type that could eventually move inside to WILL. He brings tremendous movement skills and tenacity to the table.

Notre Dame is also very high on Danville (Calif.) San Ramon Valley star Marco Jones, who visited South Bend before the season. The 6-4, 215-pound defender is one of the more dynamic athletes in the 2025 class. His upside is tremendous.

There is a long list of names to keep a close eye on in terms of linebacker recruiting. Some of them include Anthony Sacca, Christian Jones, Noah Mikhail, Gavin Nix, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Brett Clatterbaugh and Nasir Wyatt among many others

SAFETY

Need: 2-3
Commit: S Ivan Taylor

Safety recruiting has been a mixed bag over the last couple of years, with more downs than ups. That has made the 2025 cycle even more important and it got off to a tremendous start with Taylor, who is a potentially elite player in the class. He has the athletic upside to start at either safety spot or nickel back early on.

As of now, the plan is for Notre Dame to take at least one more safety in the class. Numbers could always change but that is where the position is right now, and with the talent on the board right now it would be a bit surprising if the number didn't grow to three. It will be interesting to see if that changes down the road.

There are two players at the top of the class right now, and Notre Dame is in great position with both players. Those players are Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick School standout Ethan Long and Winston Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor star JaDon Blair. Both players bring length and playmaking upside to the table. The Irish are in a good spot with both players. As of now, Long appears to be on a timeline where he could make a decision quicker than Blair, which might be key in this situation to make sure they have a spot in the class.

Notre Dame is also still recruiting Cleveland (Ohio) Shaker Heights defensive back Trey McNutt. He has interest in Notre Dame but as has been reported in the past, he is going to be a tough pull. Ohio State appears to be the team to beat for McNutt.

CORNERBACK

Need: 3
Commit: CB Cree Thomas

As long as Mike Mickens is at Notre Dame, cornerback recruiting and development shouldn’t be much of a question. The 2025 class got off to a good start when Thomas opted for the Irish a couple months ago. He is a talented cover man who could potentially play a couple of roles on the back end for the Irish.

With two spots potentially left at cornerback, the Irish are actually in a great spot with several top players on the board. That includes Tampa Bay (Fla.) Berkeley Prep star Dallas Golden, who could potentially play cornerback, safety or wide receiver on the next level. Notre Dame likes him at cornerback, where his length, physicality and athleticism could develop into a lockdown option on the outside.

The Irish are also in a good spot with both Indianapolis (Ind.) Ben Davis standout Mark Zackery and Buford (Ga.) High School cover man Devin Williams. As of now, Williams is in no rush to make a decision. Zackery, on the other hand, seems to be trending to a decision a lot quicker.

Maryland native Kevyn Humes is also a player that Notre Dame was pushing for. He is an interesting situation, however, recently announcing that he is reclassifying to the 2024 class.