‘They said they were coming for me next’ - Top Notre Dane target becoming very clear following the commitment of elite QB Teddy Jarrard

Notre Dame football has been riding a large wave of momentum in the 2026 class, and head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish staff have already carried that over to the 2027 group as well. That includes a commitment from Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb quarterback Teddy Jarrard, who opted for Notre Dame over finalists Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, and Penn State. That is quite an early addition.

With an elite signal caller now committed, that gives the Irish quite a selling point to other top talent in the 2027 class. One early defender to know is La Verne (Calif.) Damien safety Gavin Williams, an outstanding athlete on the back end. Williams already had a high opinion of Notre Dame, but this recent move has only increased that interest.

Williams did an interview with Kyle Kelly recently, who is a recruiting reporter from Irish Illustrated. The Fighting Irish staff has made it very clear where Williams is on their board. Breaking news: It is quite high.

“After (Jarrard) committed, they hit me up and called me,” Williams toldKelly. “They said they were coming for me next. Go Irish.”

Williams is rated as a four-star player by every major recruiting platform. On the 247Sports Composite ranking, Williams currently ranks as the No. 172 overall player, No. 14 safety, and No. 15 player in the state of California. The state of California has been very good to Notre Dame in the past, and they hope that continues with Williams.

A long list of impressive suitors has already begun to pursue Williams. Some of his top offers currently include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, Oregon, Tennessee, Michigan, USC, Utah, Florida State, Auburn, Michigan State, Arkansas, BYU, SMU, Arizona State, UCLA, Arizona, Syracuse, West Virginia, Washington, Cal, Mississippi State, UNC, and Oklahoma State among many others. 

The 6-1, 180-pound defender has been a difference maker for Damien over the last two seasons. During that stretch, he has collected 85 total tackles, nine pass breakups, five pass breakups, five tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. His range and versatility are both fantastic.