Predicting the next five commitments for Notre Dame following the commitment from elite tight end Ian Premer

For the first time in a very long time, it feels like the Notre Dame program can’t be stopped on the recruiting trail. Head coach Marcus Freeman and his Fighting Irish staff are riding quite the wave of momentum, and it feels like they could bat .1000 down the stretch. This run has been impressive to watch. 

On Thursday, most were surprised to see elite 2026 Great Bend (Kansas) High School tight end Ian Premer commit to Notre Dame. Heading into the day, it was uncertain if the Irish could close on the 6-5, 230-pound pass catcher, and nobody predicted it to happen then. It was a tremendous surprise. 

With Premer now on board, the 2026 recruiting board has gotten even smaller. There’s going to be questions about whether Notre Dame will still push for Waukee (Iowa) High School tight end Evan Jacobson now that the Irish have two tight ends in the class, so we will see what happens there. 

For now, let’s enjoy this huge commitment and predict the next five commitments in the class for Notre Dame. We are looking at an elite finish in front of us. 

WR Kaydon Finley - Aledo (Texas) High School

Finley is set to make his decision between Notre Dame, Texas, and Texas A&M on July 4th. This is a big one for the Fighting Irish, who desperately need to lure Finley away from the Longhorns, who he is a legacy for. This is the type of high floor-ceiling pass catcher that the team hasn’t landed enough in recent years.

WR Devin Fitzgerald - Phoenix (Ariz.) Brophy Prep 

Speaking of famous football sons, you may have heard of Fitzgerald’s as well. Like his father Larry Fitzgerald, Devin has a massive catch radius and impressive ball skills. There are some questions about just how athletic he is, but if this is your fourth or fifth wide receiver in the class, you’re in good shape. 

WR Brayden Robinson - Red Oak (Texas) High School 

Robinson has somehow became a very underrated player in this class, but his skill set would be an important addition to the wide receiver room. He’s small at 5-8 and 160 pounds, but he is dynamic in space. The Irish need more of these productive pass catchers that make things happen after the catch. 

S Nick Reddish - Charlotte (N.C.) Independence

With Reddish set to make his college decision on July 11th, this is a battle between Notre Dame and Virginia Tech.  Mike Mickens and the Fighting Irish have been pushing hard for Reddish for a long time, and I think they get it done in the end. Reddish is viewed as the final ingredient to their best secondary class in a long time, maybe ever. 

DT Elijah Golden - Sarasota (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney 

Outside of Finley, there is no bigger target on the board right now than Golden. At 6-3 and 270 pounds, he has the look of a playmaking three technique long term. The Fighting Irish hold a lead over Alabama right now, but they will need to close down the stretch.