Even while we are in a dead period, the recruiting world never stops. Over the last week, Notre Dame has received two massive 2025 commitments. They have also made a very important top five schools list and have multiple recruits cementing official visits this offseason.
Let’s recap all the action. If you missed anything at all, this is the article to read.
LATEST RECRUITING NEWS
Recruiting doesn’t slow down for Notre Dame, who secured two commitments in a three day stretch recently. On Saturday, it was from 2025 Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic pass catcher Elijah Burress. He is the son of former Pittsburgh Steeler and New York Giant star wide receiver Plaxico Burress.
The action actually got started on Thursday when 2025 Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic Memorial offensive tackle Owen Strebig opted for the Irish. He selected Notre Dame over other finalists USC, Florida State, Miami and Wisconsin. Nabbing the 6-8, 290-pound offensive lineman was big time.
Before making his commitment, Strebig sat down with Irish Breakdown to discuss the decision. In the end, Notre Dame gave the Wisconsin native everything he was looking for. They were the program who checked every box, and provided the full package.
Another big part of the sell for Strebig was relationships. One of his biggest, and most influential bonds was with quarterback commit Deuce Knight. The two have gotten very close over the last few months.
When you just talk about physical tools, you would be hard pressed to find a more impressive offensive tackle in the 2025 recruiting class than Strebig. His combination of size, length, flexibility and foot quickness should translate well on the next level. I put him under the microscope.
It’s getting close to official visit season, which saw a couple very important 2025 targets for Notre Dame cement trips to campus. That includes Indianapolis (Ind.) Warren Central pass rusher Damien Shanklin, dynamic Winston Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor safety JaDon Blair and fast rising Rabun Gap (Ga.) Nacoochee School linebacker Antoine Deslauriers. A date hasn’t been solidified yet but star La Verne (Calif.) Bonita linebacker Noah Mikhail is also finalizing a return trip to Notre Dame.
Speaking of talented linebackers, Notre Dame also received good news when 2025 Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph’s Prep defender Anthony Sacca included the Irish among his top five schools. They joined an outstanding, and very interesting group of suitors.
Just for fun, the 2025 Notre Dame commits helped to get fans ready for Super Bowl LVIII. They each made their score prediction, in what feels like a very competitive game. At least that’s what most of the commits believe.
RECRUIT INTERVIEWS
One of the more interesting defensive lineman on the board in 2025 is Frankfurt (Kent.) Western Hills standout Javeon Campbell. The 6-5, 260-pound defensive lineman is one of the more impressive players in the class physically. He also brings an intriguing backstory, which offers a lot of upside for his development long term.
The staff extended an offer to 2025 Midwest City (Okla.) Carl Albert cornerback Trystan Haynes this week as well. The dynamic athlete went in depth on the recent offer from Notre Dame. His positional coach Sean Cooper also had high praise for Haynes, who he thinks could thrive on the highest level.
The Irish staff is also keeping close tabs on two talented safety recruits. That includes 2025 Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy star CJ Jimcoily and 2026 Charlotte (N.C.) Independence standout Nicholas Reddish.
NEW OFFERS
Here is the lone new offer from Notre Dame this past week.
CB TRYSTAN HAYNES - Oklahoma City (Okla.) Carl Albert
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