Brian Jean-Mary has an ace in the hole that could bring an immediate payback for Notre Dame and their recruiting efforts
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While coaching turnover is never ideal, Notre Dame football and head coach Marcus Freeman have done about as well as you could hope for this offseason with finding replacements. That includes former Michigan linebackers coach and run game coordinator Brian Jean-Mary, who is a great replacement for Al Washington on paper. Not only does Jean-Mary have a great reputation as a coach and developer, but he also has a long track record as an impact recruiter.
Coaching transitions are never easy, but Jean-Mary brings a background that could actually help Notre Dame a ton immediately on the recruiting trail. Here are the potential 2027 recruiting targets that Jean-Mary already has preexisting relationships with. Depending on the quality of those relationships, this could end up being a pretty smooth transition. It certainly looks very strong on paper, and we will know very soon.
Amarri Irvin – Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
Whenever there is a coaching change, it’s important for the new coach to come in and sell themselves to existing players and recruits. Irvin is a player that Jean-Mary is familiar with, considering that Michigan had also offered the IMG Academy star. You would hope that would put Irvin’s mind at ease quickly. The 6-0, 220-pound defender is the remaining linebacker commit on the class, and a tremendous football player. Making sure he sticks with his commitment to Notre Dame is important.
Brayton Feister – Akron (Ohio) Archbishop Hoban
A newer player to the board, Notre Dame instantly became a team to know for Feister once they offered. The 6-3, 230-pound linebacker is a physical downhill player who is also a tremendous running back for Archbishop Hoban. Jean-Mary is a coach that Feister knows, which should help with this transitional process. With Irvin already in the 2027 class, adding a player who projects most favorably to MIKE linebacker would be a great addition.
Kaden Henderson – Tampa Bay (Fla.) Jesuit
At 6-2 and 215 pounds, Henderson is your modern run-and-chase linebacker with some absurd range on the second level. Notre Dame has been extremely high on Henderson, and he has been a high priority for some time now. Michigan was another school that had offered and was pushing for the Florida standout. How well Jean-Mary is able to come in and make up ground with Henderson will be very important for the Irish 2027 recruiting class. Henderson is considered to be a five-star and the No. 25 overall player in the 2027 class according to the 247 Sports Composite ranking.
Roman Igwebuike – Chicago(Ill.) Mount Carmel
Notre Dame needs to do a better job of keeping some of the top talent in their backyard at home. At 6-3 and 225 pounds, Igwebuike is a big inside linebacker who moves very well for his size. There has been some interest in the Fighting Irish, but there is a lot of work to do. With an offer list now over 40 at this point, there are a ton of potential suitors for the talented defender. Luckily for the Irish, Michigan has been a team of interest for him, an effort that was led by Jean-Mary.
This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Feb 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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