What's Next: Notre Dame Looking To Land An Elite Secondary Class

Notre Dame added a very important player to its 2025 secondary class when it landed Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep standout Dallas Golden. A two-way standout on the prep level, Golden projects as a defensive back with the Irish. He joins a class that also has big time Florida safety Ivan Taylor, Connecticut athlete Ethan Long and talented Arizona cornerback Cree Thomas.

It's certainly an outstanding foundation to build a class around, and if Notre Dame didn't land another defensive back in this class it would be a strong haul. But Notre Dame wants and needs more in the class, so there is still work to be done.

There is need for at least one more cornerback in the class from a numbers standpoint, and the staff has made it obvious there is one more safety out there it would like to land. How Notre Dame finishes the secondary class will determine if it's really good (which it is now) or if it's an elite class that becomes the envy of the rest of the college football world.

Taylor and Long by themselves make up a very good safety class. I graded Taylor out as a Top 100 player that is right on the verge of being a Top 50 prospect. He's a top notch cover player and can handle both safety spots or thrive in the slot. Long earned a Top 150 grade and shows the kind of range desired to play centerfield and the alleys in the Irish defense.

Although Notre Dame landed three safeties in both the 2023 and 2024 classes, the Irish staff is pushing for a third in the 2025 class as well. It's not because they need a third safety, it's because they want to add Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor standout JaDon Blair.

Blair graded out as a Top 50 recruit on the IB board, and his unique skillset is something the Irish staff clearly covets. He's exceptionally long and rangy, Blair has developed into an impact run defender, and as a junior he took a big jump from a coverage production standpoint. The tools are there for Blair to develop into a difference maker on the back end of the defense.

On top of being a talented player, Blair brings a skillset that is completely complementary to that of Taylor and Golden, making him a great fit in the defense. It's one thing to stockpile talented players, it's quite another to stockpile talented players that bring skills that complement each other, which allows a defensive coach to have different types of weapons to throw at the offense. The fact Blair and Taylor would fit so well together would make them the perfect tandem, and would combined with Long to give Notre Dame its best safety haul in well over a decade.

Notre Dame has put itself in a great position with Blair, but there is still work to do. Penn State, Michigan, Louisville, Virginia Tech and South Carolina all plan to get officials from Blair as well. It won't be easy to land him, but that's exactly what the Notre Dame staff led by Mike Mickens is trying to do.

Notre Dame is also not done at cornerback, but unlike safety, there is actually still a need left from a numbers standpoint. Three was the desired number even before rising sophomore Micah Bell transferred out of the program. Three is now the must-get number, and I could even see the Irish getting to four if the right combination of players wanted to join, but at least one more player is needed. Of course, if the right player jumped on board and became the third commit at cornerback the staff could also decide to shut things down and focus on other needs.

Notre Dame has been working hard to land Indianapolis (Ind.) Ben Davis athlete Mark Zackery for some time. Like Golden, Zackery is a standout on both sides of the ball, but defensively he projects as a pure outside cover corner, which is what the Irish want more of on the roster. Zackery is athletic, he can run and he showed off impressive instincts and smarts as a junior. Notre Dame is battling Michigan, Cincinnati and other programs to land Zackery, and things have been quiet on his front in recent weeks.

Notre Dame got in on later on Midwest City (Okla.) Carl Albert star Trystan Haynes than they did others, but since then the staff has worked hard to make up ground. Haynes has expressed serious interest in Notre Dame, and the visit to South Bend last month moved the needle big time. Notre Dame loves his combination of size, speed and playmaking ability. He quickly became a priority target for the Irish, but they are battling Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia, Miami and Texas A&M for him. Landing Haynes could be a challenge, but the Irish staff is putting their best foot forward.

Notre Dame is also recruiting Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei cornerback Chuck McDonald and Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph's cornerback Jahmir Joseph. Both add a lot of size to the board, and both have positional flexibility, which is always a plus. Joseph has set up official visits to Notre Dame, Penn State and Stanford. They are battling several West Coast schools for McDonald.

Zackery and Notre Dame have been linked for some time, and the staff is working hard to move up with Haynes, Joseph and McDonald as well. Landing at least one of these four corners is a must for the Irish. Doing so not only meets the numbers need, it would give the program an infusion of length, athleticism and cover skills that are always important in this day and age.

There is clearly work to be done, but a strong finish will give Notre Dame a chance to land the kind of secondary class that not only closes the gap, it erases it.

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