Notre Dame has the No. 1 recruiting class in the class of 2023.
Tom Loy
The future of the Notre Dame football program is extremely bright. The Fighting Irish have had quite the run over the past few seasons including two trips to the College Football Playoffs over the past four seasons and just barely missed it in 2021.
The staff has recruited well over the last couple of cycles and that hasn’t stopped with this class. Notre Dame currently has 20commits from the class of 2023 and is ranked the No. 1 overall program according to the 247Sports Composite Team Recruiting Rankings.
Let's meet the class and the prospects that make up this talented group.
Name: Jaden Greathouse
Position: Receiver
Hometown: Austin, Texas
School: Westlake
Height: 6-2
Weight: 215
247Sports Ranking: No. 113 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 224 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Oklahoma, Texas, Michgian, Oregon, USC
Primary Recruiter: Tommy Rees
Secondary Recruiter: Chansi Stuckey
Quote:“The degree and football is second to none. I have a great relationship with all the coaches and I trust them a lot. Both coach Freeman and Notre Dame are on the come up for sure.”
Name: Christian Gray
Position: Cornerback
Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.
School: DeSmet
Height: 6-0
Weight: 175
247Sports Ranking: No. 159 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 94 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, USC
Primary Recruiter: Mike Mickens
Secondary Recruiter: Al Golden
Quote: "I talked to God about it, and it aligned with my faith. It aligned with everything I have for the future for myself, and I just thought the coaching staff was great, the environment was great and it just shows me what I can be besides a football player, too. It was very stressful, but I got through it. And it was just slight work because I had God on my side. He gave me all the things that I needed."
Name: Rico Flores
Position: Receiver
Hometown: Folsom, Calif.
School: Folsom
Height: 6-1
Weight: 190
247Sports Ranking: No. 246 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 187 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, USC
Primary Recruiter: Chansi Stuckey
Secondary Recruiter: Tommy Rees
Quote: "They felt like family and then when I took the visit, that just topped it all. I knew it was the place for me when I finally took my official visit there. Coach Freeman was the only person to know and he was super pumped up. None of the other coaches knew."
Name: Micah Bell
Position: Cornerback
Hometown: Houston, Texas
School: Kinkaid School
Height: 5-11
Weight: 170
247Sports Ranking: No. 55 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 120 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Florida, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, Stanford
Primary Recruiter: Mike Mickens
Secondary Recruiter: Al Golden
Quote: "They were after me the most. They were showing me that they wanted me the most. That put them ahead of any other school in my eyes. I was in coach's office on the official visit. Then I just told him. Then he gave me a hug." then gave me a hug."
Name: Charles Jagusah
Position: Offensive Line
Hometown: Rock Island, Ill.
School: Alleman
Height: 6-6
Weight: 310
247Sports Ranking: No. 64 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 55 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma
Primary Recruiter: Harry Hiestand
Secondary Recruiter: Tommy Rees
Quote: “I think for me it was really the new staff. They changed my perspective of what Notre Dame is like and what I can get out by going there... Freeman is a super good dude. I think he’s one of the most invested head coaches that I’ve met. I can tell that he’s going to get the program to where everyone wants it to be.”
Name: Elijah Paige
Position: Offensive Line
Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz.
School: Pinnacle
Height: 6-7
Weight: 304
247Sports Ranking: No. 223 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 335 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Cincinnati, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon, Stanford
Primary Recruiter: Harry Hiestand
Secondary Recruiter: Tommy Rees
Quote: "Notre Dame's a special place. There's really nowhere like it. There's nowhere in the country that you'll get academics, that level of academics and that level of football in one. You get the best of both worlds at Notre Dame. I think that's why it fits me so well."
Name: Joe Otting
Position: Offensive Line
Hometown: Topeka, Kan.
School: Hayden
Height: 6-4
Weight: 275
247Sports Ranking: No. 20 interior offensive lineman, outside the Top247
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 591 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Iowa, Baylor, Iowa State, Missouri, Nebraska
Primary Recruiter: Harry Hiestand
Secondary Recruiter: Tommy Rees
Quote: "Just growing up as a kid, it was a dream school of mine and for it to become reality, it's really special to me. Just getting to know the people around Notre Dame like coach Hiestand and coach Freeman, everything just lined up perfectly. I decided that I might as well not pass up on this opportunity."
Name: Sullivan Absher
Position: Offensive Line
Hometown: Belmont, NC
School: South Point
Height: 6-7
Weight: 290
247Sports Ranking: No. 206overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 191overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Clemson, North Carolina, Penn State, Stanford, South Carolina
Primary Recruiter: Harry Hiestand
Secondary Recruiter: Tommy Rees
Quote: "It ultimately boiled down to Notre Dame was the the safest option, for a lack of a better term, as far as the football side goes and after football. On the football side, you've got the tradition and the history of Notre Dame football, as well as coach Hiestand, who's the best in the business. He's one of the greatest O-Line coaches to ever do it. Then you got coach Freeman, who's a young guy. He's got to prove himself, but I think he's he's building something special. The other side of things, you've got the Notre Dame degree, which you can go anywhere in the world with."
Name: Keon Keeley
Position: Edge
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
School: Berkeley Prep
Height: 6-5
Weight: 240
247Sports Ranking: No. 9 overall
Star Ranking: Five-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 8 overall
Star Ranking: Five-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State
Primary Recruiter: Marcus Freeman
Secondary Recruiter: Mike Mickens
Quote: "I chose Notre Dame because it gave me the best opportunity to succeed on and off the field. I feel like it offers everything that I need. The coaching staff and the football community there and just the culture in general, I feel like it's everything I wanted. I feel like it allows me to succeed 40 years later, no matter what decision or no matter where football takes me. I know that Notre Dame's not a bad decision at all in every aspect and it actually succeeds in every aspect. I'm just really thankful and blessed to be in this opportunity to get a chance to go to Notre Dame and just be able to say that I attend Notre Dame, because it's an amazing school and it truly allows me to succeed in every aspect of my life."
Name: Drayk Bowen
Position: Linebacker
Hometown: Merrillville, Ind.
School: Andrean
Height: 6-2
Weight: 215
247Sports Ranking: No. 76overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 76overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Auburn, Cincinnati, Michigan, Oregon, Texas A&M
Primary Recruiter: Marcus Freeman
Secondary Recruiter: Chad Bowden
Quote: "So, really, during the summer when I was down south and wasn't at home for a while, my brother and sister, they got a lot closer without me being home. They pretty much started growing up, so I missed that and I didn't really want to miss that a lot more. That was a big reason why Notre Dame had kind of moved up. Really, after the summer, they weren't my leading school. It was probably Clemson. That was a big reason. That along with my relationships with coach Freeman and coach Bowden, and then coach Jarrett and coach Wallace on the baseball side, those were all big parts. Then obviously the academics."
Name: Peyton Bowen
Position: Safety
Hometown: Denton, Texas
School: Guyer
Height: 6-0
Weight: 185
247Sports Ranking: No. 75overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 51overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Alabama, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State
Primary Recruiter: Chris O'Leary
Secondary Recruiter: Marcus Freeman
Quote: "Oh, I love Marcus Freeman. Marcus, Chris O'Leary and Chad Bowden, those are my homies… I knew that if Marcus didn't get the head coaching job, a lot of things were going to break down over there. So, I was hoping that he would get the job because nothing would change."
Name: Braylon James
Position: Receiver
Hometown: Round Rock, Texas
School: Stony Point
Height: 6-2
Weight: 185
247Sports Ranking: No. 100overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 117overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Stanford, Texas
Primary Recruiter: Tommy Rees
Secondary Recruiter: Chansi Stuckey
Quote: "Schools have tried to talk me out of it, but yeah, it's Notre Dame. I'm locked in with Notre Dame 110%. There's so many factors and things that went into play with this decision. I kind of knew after my first conversation with coach Freeman that Notre Dame was where I wanted to be. It was just a matter of getting up there. In terms of life after football, I think the only school that could really compete with them in that aspect was Stanford, but then in terms of playing football at the highest level, I think Notre Dame just had that edge over Stanford and that's what really separated them for me. It was just a no-brainer for me with the whole package."
Name: Brenan Vernon
Position: Defensive lineman
Hometown: Mentor, Ohio
School: Mentor
Height: 6-5
Weight: 275
247Sports Ranking: No. 211overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 99overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State
Primary Recruiter: Al Washington
Secondary Recruiter: Chad Bowden
Quote: “I love Notre Dame. As soon as I stepped foot on campus, it just kind of felt like I fit in. I felt it click, especially with the staff there, the guys like Marcus Freeman, Chad Bowden, coach Elston, such amazing guys down there. They make me feel like I fit in, like I’m family.”
Name: Boubacar Traore
Position: Defensive Lineman
Hometown: West Roxbury, Mass.
School: Catholic Memorial
Height: 6-5
Weight: 235
247Sports Ranking: No. 90overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 123overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Boston College, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Penn State, Wisconsin
Primary Recruiter: Al Washington
Secondary Recruiter: Al Golden
Quote: "It's Notre Dame. It's a great school. It's a great football team. Washington is a great coach. We sit down and talk every other day, phone calls, things like that. He's a great person."
Name: Adon Shuler
Position: Safety
Hometown: Irvington, N.J.
School: Irvington
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200
247Sports Ranking: No. 192overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 221overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Florida, Florida State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Texas A&M
Primary Recruiter: Chris O'Leary
Secondary Recruiter: Marcus Freeman
Quote: "What really separated Notre Dame over a lot of the other schools for me was the relationship I have with the coaches. I built up a great relationship with the coaching staff, coach Freeman, coach O'Leary and coach Chad. That really was a big thing for me. I talked to coach Kelly a few times. That was big for me. Notre Dame is a prestigious school. Me and my parents, we always talked about me going to a school with great education because of the life after football. That was really the main thing with Notre Dame, the education aspect and the great football they have and sports in general, not just football."
Name: Devan Houstan
Position: Defensive Lineman
Hometown: Hagerstown, Md.
School: St. James School
Height: 6-5
Weight: 270
247Sports Ranking: No. 186overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 216overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee
Primary Recruiter: Al Washington
Secondary Recruiter: Al Golden
Quote: "With Notre Dame, me and coach Washington and coach Freeman, we are really close. We talk all the time. Coach Washington and coach Freeman, for me, they are young and they are able to connect with me. They don't just talk to me about football. They talk to me about family, they talk to me about my brother, they talk to me about anything, my dog, anything like that."
Name: Cooper Flanagan
Position: Tight end
Hometown: Concord, Calif.
School: De La Salle
Height: 6-5
Weight: 228
247Sports Ranking: No. 110 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 239overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Tennessee, Washington
Primary Recruiter: Tommy Rees
Secondary Recruiter: Chad Bowden
Quote: “It’s cool to see the dream team. It'll be fun to see how it pans out, you know, and how we all connect, and how we all get along as a group. But I hope that we can keep getting more players, which I'm sure will happen. And, obviously, we have a bunch of defensive guys right now. So, I think it would be cool to see, for me, offensive guys.”
Name: Jayden Limar
Position: Running back
Hometown: Lake Stevens, Wash.
School: Lake Stevens
Height: 5-10
Weight: 190
247Sports Ranking: No. 247 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 317 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Miami, Michigan, Oregon, Texas A&M, USC
Primary Recruiter: Tommy Rees
Secondary Recruiter: Deland McCullough
Quote: "The biggest reason I chose Notre Dame is the relationship I built with the coaches and what they can do for you after football. Back in April, a little after coach McCullough got hired, I knew they were going to be the school for me."
Name: Preston Zinter
Position: Linebacker
Hometown: Lawrence, Mass.
School: Central Catholic
Height: 6-3
Weight: 215
247Sports Ranking: Outside of Top247; No. 46overall linebacker
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 425overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State
Primary Recruiter: Al Golden
Secondary Recruiter: Chad Bowden
Quote: "For me, it came down to why not Notre Dame at that point, because it really just fit for me and matched everything I wanted in a school. First thing I wanted was a very high level of football. Notre Dame has been Top 5 or Top 10 almost every year. Also, just the academic piece. They're one of the best academic colleges in the country. I love this new coaching staff. Coach Freeman is really building something special there. Then just the tradition that Notre Dame has it's unmatched. The brotherhood they have there is unmatched. I got to spend some time with the guys and just being around them and how they all have bonded so quickly, especially these freshmen that just got there with the older guys, and especially with the coaches. It's unreal."
Name: Sam Pendleton
Position: Offensive Lineman
Hometown: Pfafftown, N.C.
School: Reagan
Height: 6-4
Weight: 305
247Sports Ranking: Outside of Top247; No. 29 interiorlineman overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 378overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Clemson, Florida, Michigan, Penn State, Stanford
Primary Recruiter: Tommy Rees
Secondary Recruiter: Harry Hiestand
Quote: "I feel like the school fits me so much because of some of the things I look for in a school. I told people for the longest time what I look for in a school is the best education I can get with the most high level of football I can get, and there is not much higher than Irish football. Every Saturday your game is going to be on (national) t.v. no matter what, and you are going to get one of the best educations in the nation along with that."
