Notre Dame Football has dominated recruiting in the Carolinas lately, specifically North Carolina. A state that has been more than kind to the Irish football program over the last few cycles. That trend is continuing in 2026.
In 2024, the Irish made some moves to become a big-time player in North Carolina, securing a commitment from Notre Dame legacy recruit Bryce Young. According to 247Sports, a 5-star edge rusher, the son of former Irish legend Bryant Young, looked the part in his first foray into college football.
Freeman and company also secured wide receiver Micah Gilbert from Charlotte Christian, Young’s teammate on the offensive side of the ball. Gilbert is no throw-in. He looks like a bona fide contributor for Mike Brown’s unit moving forward.
In 2025, the squad secured a massive commitment from budding safety prospect JaDon Blair. The 6-4 rangy safety out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, looks like a clone of Kyle Hamilton. A tall, lengthy athlete who won’t have trouble finding the field early for Notre Dame.
The coaching staff, particularly Al Washington, has recently dominated the North Carolina recruiting trail. He landed massive commitments from Ebenezer Ewetade and Rodney Dunham, two edge defenders who could end up as 5-star prospects. According to On3 and 247Sports, respectively, they already are.
Throw in ultra-talented linebacker Thomas Davis Jr., and interior defensive lineman Noah Clark, and the Irish keep on trying to load up on North Carolina prospects.
According to 247, the Irish are already trending as the leaders for safety Nick Reddish. The Irish have landed or heavily pursued six prospects from the state, with three currently committed.
Notre Dame employs a nationwide recruiting approach, but building rock-solid foundations in specific regions or states never hurts; it’s undoubtedly helped Notre Dame’s recruiting this year.
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