Notre Dame Commit Cree Thomas Is Helping To Build A Star Studded Secondary

It was a busy weekend for Junior Day, welcoming some of the top overall players in the 2025 recruiting class to South Bend. That included 11 of the 14 Notre Dame commits in the class, coming together to bond as a group.

Standout 2025 Phoenix (Az.) Brophy College Prep cornerback Cree Thomas, who committed to the Irish back on November 20th, made the return trip to campus. Now an instrumental part of the class overall, Thomas had the chance to really get to know his future teammates on a deeper level this past weekend.

"Junior Day was amazing,” Thomas told Irish Breakdown. "Every time I go to campus it feels more and more like home. Chopping it up with all of the coaches and being around future teammates was definitely a great time.

"It was fun being able to talk to all of the other commits in person as well,” he continued. "I think we all get along extremely well and have aspirations to bring something special to the program. It feels like family every time I talk to the coaches and I can’t wait to get developed by them.”

Notre Dame has gotten off to a fast start in the secondary in the 2025 class, already securing commitments from Thomas, as well as safeties Ivan Taylor and Ethan Long. There are still a couple spots left on the back end in the class, which Thomas is working diligently to help fill them.

"I got to spend some time with Dallas Golden and Mark Zackery,” Thomas said. "They are two very gifted players that can add a lot of value to this class. I’m glad they got to see the amazing opportunity Notre Dame offers in person.”

It’s still early on in the process but the 2025 class looks like it just might end up being the best class under Marcus Freeman to date. Thomas agrees, seeing an outstanding group with a ton of upside on the next level.

"I think this 2025 class has the potential to be truly special,” he explained. "I’m excited to grow closer with those guys and combine with the other classes to play some amazing football in years to come.”

The Arizona native had quickly attracted the attention of several prominent PAC 12 schools prior to his decision, including holding offers from Oregon, Arizona State, Arizona and Cal early on. Thomas also held offers from the Fighting Irish, Wisconsin and Purdue among others.

The 6-1, 170-pound cornerback is coming off of a outstanding sophomore campaign for Brophy College Prep. Thomas locked down one of the cornerback positions, finishing the season with 33 total tackles, one interception and six pass breakups. He also added in 1.5 tackles for loss and a half of a sack, while also being the team’s main kick and punt returner.

As a junior, Thomas was even better. In 13 games, he collected 43 total tackles, five interceptions and four more pass breakups. One of his interceptions was returned for a touchdown.

Since committing to Notre Dame, Thomas was elevated to four-star status by Rivals. He currently sits as the No. 224 overall player and No. 26 cornerback in the 2025 recruiting class on that ranking.