Notre Dame Fighting Irish staff pitching for elite target to 'play both sides of the ball' as apart of new age recruiting pitch

With the recent craze surrounding former Colorado superstar Travis Hunter, there has been a revival of talented athletes wanting to play on both sides of the football. Hunter was sensational at both cornerback and wide receiver during his time in Boulder, and is planning on doing a lot of the same with the Jacksonville Jaguars after being selected with the No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Even though Hunter is a bit of a unicorn as an athlete, we are now starting to hear more of this pitch on the recruiting trail in recent years. That includes with 2027 St. Charles (Mo.) Francis Howell Central tight end Jack Brown, who is also a dominant defensive end for his high school. This potential want to play on both sides of the football has changed some program ideologies with their pursuit of talented players. That includes the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, it would seem.

In an interview with Brown, Rivals director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong spoke about some of the top schools that are pursuing the talented playmaker. Brown had some interesting things to say about Notre Dame, his travel plans, and their unique new age pitch.

“This is a huge opportunity for me because of the history and culture that surrounds Notre Dame football,” Brown said about game visits he has planned for their matchups against Texas A&M and USC. He also visited in June for Irish Invasion and in April for the spring game. “Notre Dame is definitely a top school for me because of their interest in me and my interest in them.

“Something that continues to excite me about Notre Dame is their interest in me playing both sides of the ball for them.”

That last sentence will probably catch many by surprise. There have been recruits in the past that Notre Dame has offered as an athlete, with the option to play either side of the football down the road. We haven't, however, seen someone offered the chance to play both at the same time in the past.

At 6-5 and 215 pounds, Brown is an extremely talented athlete who projects favorably on either offense or defense. Would he be able to play both sides at two very demanding positions physically? That is a major question mark, but hopefully the Irish have to navigate that "problem" and land Brown when a decision comes.

Brown is considered to be a four-star player by each of the major recruiting platforms. Rivals is the highest on the Missouri native, currently sitting as the No. 57 overall player and No. 4 tight end in the 2027 recruiting class. He is also the highest ranked player in the state of Missouri on their ranking.

There is a long list of impressive programs that are pursuing Brown heavily. Some of his top offers so far include the Fighting Irish, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Michigan, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, USC, Ole Miss, Penn State, Auburn, Florida State, Nebraska, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan State, Missouri, Louisville, Arizona State, Kansas State, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Arkansas, Houston, and Purdue amongst several many others.