Notre Dame football has a few intriguing prospects it is considering heading into National Signing Day. The Fighting Irish are coming off a terrific third season under head coach Marcus Freeman. Notre Dame made the College Football Playoff, winning both the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl en route to a trip to the National Championship game. This team’s season ended with a loss to Ohio State in the sport’s most important game
Unfortunately, the Fighting Irish could not break their title drought, which has lasted since 1988. But that fact does not diminish the accomplishments of the 2024 squad. For this century, Notre Dame football has been plagued with questions about whether it can truly compete with the top tier of college football.
More often than not, the Fighting Irish have lost to elite opponents, sometimes in embarrassing fashion. A noteworthy example was in the 2013 National Championship game against Alabama. Because of these struggles, a shocking statistic heading into 2024 was that Notre Dame had not won a New Year’s Six caliber bowl game since 1994. That drought ended this year.
After dismantling No. 8 Indiana, Notre Dame won handily against No. 2 Georgia. The Fighting Irish followed up that signature victory with a tight win over No. 4 Penn State. Marcus Freeman has ultimately elevated this program to being a legitimate contender. That change in perception helps Notre Dame’s direction heading into 2025 and its chances of adding these two intriguing recruits before National Signing Day.
Notre Dame’s direction heading into 2025
Notre Dame will lose and retain several key players from this year’s runner-up squad. The headline player who will be back in South Bend is running back Jeremiyah Love. The sophomore tailback was one of the best players on offense for the Fighting Irish and will head into 2025 with legitimate Heisman Trophy hype.
However, Notre Dame is losing key contributors like quarterback Riley Leonard and safety Xavier Watts. Leonard, a grad transfer from Duke last offseason, was a big-time player who got better as the season continued. Despite only being with the program for one year, the Fairhope, Alabama native will leave huge shoes to fill in South Bend.
Watts was one of the best safeties in the country this season and a large part of why Notre Dame had an exceptional secondary. This unit was able to withstand the loss of star cornerback Benjamin Morrison in large part due to the Consensus All-American.
Despite these losses, the Fighting Irish will return plenty of depth to their elite offensive line and add several dynamic play-makers through the transfer portal. Because of these additions, despite the uncertainty at some positions like quarterback, Notre Dame football enters the way-too-early rankings for ESPN as the No. 4 team in the country. To help boost this current roster, here are two players Marcus Freeman is targeting ahead of National Signing Day.
DE Zahir Mathis
Zahir Mathis is the best, undecided prospect that Notre Dame football is in contention for before National Signing Day on February 5. The Philadelphia native is a 4-star recruit who could immediately help the Fighting Irish pass rush. Mathis is considering 23 schools as of January 26.
Ohio State is one of those teams in contention. With this in mind, Buckeyes Wire reporter Michael Chen gave a detailed scouting report on why Mathis is generating much interest among several national championship contenders. The comparison that the defensive end gets at the end of this report is very eye-opening and showcases why Mathis would be a massive addition to Notre Dame’s roster.
“The 6-foot, 6-inch, 225-pound pass rusher is one of the best prospects in the country, ranking as the No. 5 at his position and 37th overall according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Mathis brings an extremely long frame to the table that he knows how to use very well. Mathis takes advantage of his length by keeping blockers away from him to see the play develop and make tackles.
Although Mathis’ frame will allow him to put on good weight without losing his speed, he’s still extremely strong at this point in his development. He does a great job hand-fighting offensive linemen, disengaging when needed to make a tackle. Mathis also does a great job of getting linemen off their set, pushing them into the backfield, and disrupting plays.
I believe Mathis is the best edge prospect that the Buckeyes will sign since Chase Young. If he can put on a few more good pounds before enrolling, there is no doubt in my mind that he will be a contributor from Day 1.”
ATH Jayce Cora
There is significantly less information on Jayce Cora than there is on Zahir Mathis. However, the Naples, Florida native has some eye-opening physical traits that could be of great use to Marcus Freeman and company. The 3-star recruit is listed at 6’4, 185 pounds, and has been playing both safety and wide receiver in high school. According to Sports Illustrated, Cora will focus on the defensive side of the ball if he commits to Notre Dame football.
Cora is currently weighing offers from six schools. Ryan Roberts of SI gave a short scouting report on the safety that should draw a lot of interest from Fighting Irish fans.
“Jayce reports a 4.6 forty-yard dash and 40-inch vertical, as well as being a very good student. Notre Dame extended the offer as a safety, which brings even more intrigue to the table. His combination of length and athleticism could project really well to that spot, offering some substantial upside to the table.”
Notre Dame’s 2025 recruiting class
According to ESPN, Notre Dame has the 14th-ranked recruiting class. It’s not necessarily a flashy group, but Marcus Freeman is adding twelve 4-star recruits heading into National Signing Day. Combined with the talent the Fighting Irish are bringing back, this team will head into 2025 expecting to return to the College Football Playoff.
This new group of players will open next season at Miami in a clash between two historic rivals. Along with the Hurricanes, the two other teams projected to be ranked on the Fighting Irish schedule are Texas A&M and Boise State. Notre Dame will host both of those squads.
It’s a long road back to the National Championship game, but Marcus Freeman and company will be a threat to anyone for the foreseeable future. Adding Zahir Mathis or Jayce Cora will further enhance this program’s depth as its title quest continues.