The Triple Option: Notre Dame Football recruiting is blazing hot right now

Today is the first day of summer and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are as hot on the recruiting trail as the weather feels outside — which is smoldering — so let’s break out the triple option real quick.

CRYSTAL BALL-O-METER

Rather than beat ourselves to death (again) about the possibility of C.J. Carr reclassifying to the 2023 class and what that may or may not mean with Dante Moore... let’s take a quick look at real things with real people and gypsy science.

Here are the current 247 Crystal Balls in favor for Notre Dame:

4-Star TE Jack Larsen (2024)
4-Star WR Ronan Hanafin (2023)
4-Star WR Cam Williams (2024)
4-Star WR Rico Flores (2023)
4-Star LB Jaiden Ausberry (2023)
4-Star CB Christian Gray (2023)
4-Star CB Micah Bell (2023)
4-Star DE Jason Moore (2023)
4-Star WR Jaden Greathouse (2023)
4-Star OL Charles Jagusah (2023)

If you took the eight 2023 recruits listed and added them to Notre Dame’s class (currently the #1 class in the country), it would give them a 247 Composite score of 297.49. That score would have landed the Irish in the top five over the last five years (2022 — 5, 2021 — 3, 2020 — 5, 2019 — 3, 2018 — 4). Add the possibility of Carr in the 2023 class, and it’s even better (obviously).

With most of those recruits, it really feels like a question of when and not if, and that’s what makes things so incredibly exciting right now if you’re a Notre Dame fan.

DECISION TIME

Four of those above predictions are scheduled to make commitment announcements very soon. On Friday, Jack Larsen will make his announcement, and in July the trio of Christian Gray, Micah Bell, and Rico Flores are prepared to make this a working July 4th holiday for people like me.

YOU WIN SOME, YOU LOSE SOME

Winning the commitment of recruits is very fun, but we still need to point out the losses — especially big ones. 4-Star WR Carnell Tate committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes over the Irish and the Tennessee Volunteers. While that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that follows recruiting, Tate is still a player that Notre Dame went ALL in for, is from Chicago, and the Irish received seven visits from him during his recruitment. That’s just a giant “L” and needs to be pointed out.

The nation’s #1 ranked RB, Reuben Owens, held a Notre Dame offer... but was never a serious consideration for the Irish. Lance Taylor, the former Notre Dame running backs coach and current Louisville Cardinals offensive coordinator was able to get a commitment from Owens... and really THAT is quite something.

BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE

Are you doubting Notre Dame’s ability to go to Columbus and beat the Buckeyes inside the Horseshoe? Well then... maybe our very own Brendan McAlinden can help change your mind. Brendan has been ALL-IN on his prediction for the Irish to win the season opener, and maybe more of us should join him.