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Proof of concept goes a long way in the world of recruiting
After a slow start to the cycle due to recruiting office turnover and the longest season ever played by Notre Dame, the Irish have surged into second place on 247's team recruiting board for 2026, with double-digit spots left to fill.
The only team ahead of the Irish in the rankings, ironically, is USC, which wasted no time letting new GM, former Irish GM, Chad Bowden, load up on 27 verbal commitments the second he hit the West Coast.
While it's impossible to calculate exactly how big of an impact Notre Dame's 2024 successful season is having on the recruiting trail, it's reasonable to believe it's played a big part.
The best recruits in the country want to play on college teams that are fun, exciting, and that have success in the CFP. Notre Dame now checks all of these boxes.
Notre Dame RB coach Ja’Juan Seider explains his recruiting philosophy.
— Matt Freeman (@mattfreeman05_) February 26, 2025
“What can separate when Notre Dame can pay this, Ohio State can pay this and Penn State can pay that? It's relationships.” pic.twitter.com/eGLq8kWwKQ
Notre Dame is getting more raw talent, and it will pay off
What I like most about Notre Dame's 2026 recruiting class so far is that it seems the talent bar has been raised overall on average.
According to 247's composite player ranking scores, the Irish have verbal commitments from 15 four-star players and just a single three-star player. This blue chip ratio is incredibly impressive.
Responsibly, though, we must acknowledge that this class is not complete. While impressive on paper now, there are still roughly ten or more spots to be filled. Can Notre Dame continue the four-star streak to fill out this class, or will the Irish find it harder to land top players later in the cycle while losing players already in the fold?
There's no doubt Notre Dame is off to a great start to the Mike Martin GM era and is rumored to be in a great position with many remaining top-line prospects on both sides of the ball. Should this impressive recruiting trend continue, pencil the Irish into your playoff bracket ahead of time for the next handful of seasons.
At least that's the hope.
For more Irish news & notes, follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and on your preferred audio podcast provider.
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