Takeaways from Notre Dame football's National Signing Day press conference
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In his fifth season with Notre Dame football, head coach Marcus Freeman may have come away from this year’s National Signing Day with his best recruiting performance yet. The Irish have 27 commits from the class of 2026, and according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings, they’ve put together the third-best prospect haul in the country.
Of the 27 new Irish commits, three of them are five-star recruits and 16 of them are ranked in the country’s top 250. Notre Dame football held a press conference on Wednesday, where head coach Marcus Freeman and general manager Mike Martin gave some insight into the recruiting process and the importance of the Irish’s impressive performance.
Here’s what we learned:
27 signings, 0 decommitments
Freeman said Notre Dame hosted 28 recruits on official visits over the summer. All but one signed.
Every Power-4 program had at least one person who initially intended to sign with the program but decommitted before National Signing Day. The Irish went 27-for-27.
“We were very intentional about who we targeted,” Freeman said. “ … We evaluated the right guys, [and] we continued to make sure they understood ‘Why are you committed to Notre Dame?’ It’s easy in the moment to make that phone call and say, ‘I’m committing to Notre Dame.’ The challenge is when that feeling wears off, are you still going to stay committed and true to your word?”
Twenty-four of these 27 signees are reporting to South Bend in January. Aside from the group’s evident eagerness to become involved with the Irish as soon as possible, Freeman has noticed the class has already developed a unique chemistry with one another that isn’t guaranteed before they even meet.
“There’s a closeness amongst the class,” Freeman said. “I hear often about their group chat. That brotherhood, It’s already starting, and they haven’t even stepped on campus permanently.”
In terms of prospect evaluation, Notre Dame’s defensive back recruits are particularly enticing. Khary Adams is a five-star out of Michigan, and he’s 247 Sports’ No. 1-ranked cornerback in the class of 2026.
Joey O’Brien is a five-star out of Pennsylvania, and he’s 247 Sports’ No. 2-ranked safety. The Irish signed three other defensive backs as well, none rated lower than three stars.
It’s no surprise Notre Dame honed in on the secondary, as the Irish lead all FBS teams with 21 interceptions this season.
“We’re always going to pride ourselves on the type of defense we play here,” Freeman said.
Highlighting the other six defensive commits is Rodney Dunham, a five-star out of North Carolina, and the No. 3-ranked defensive end by 247 Sports.
Other notable recruits in general include some pedigree of NFL legends, such as former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald’s son, Devin, 16-year-old outside linebacker Thomas Davis Sr’s son, Thomas Davis Jr., and former Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley’s son, Kaydon.
What did we learn from Mike Martin?
Martin was hired as Notre Dame football’s general manager in late February. While Freeman and a plethora of other Irish staff are very hands-on with every recruiting cycle, Martin oversees it all. Notre Dame fans had the chance to learn about Martin’s approach when he spoke on Wednesday, and he offered a lot of insight into how the Irish ensured that all 27 of their commits made it official on National Signing Day.
“We just couldn’t pass up on adding, even if that meant sort of stockpiling at a certain position,” Martin said. “ … We embrace the fact that we’re a developmental program. We thrive by finding the right individuals in high school.”
Martin said much of his role in the recruiting process involved relating to each prospect’s family. He acknowledged that he is the same age as many of these players’ parents, and that Martin has near-college-age children of his own.
When guardians asked Martin or other Notre Dame staff why they should feel comfortable sending their kid to South Bend, Martin understood the importance of giving a truthful answer that instilled confidence in that pivotal decision. NIL deals have a lot to do with landing high-end recruits in today’s day and age, but it’s clear that Martin believes these prospects value more than just money.
“We understand that we may never be the highest paying team or the highest bidder, but it’s important to us to be competitive,” Martin said. “I think we offer so many other things that we don’t necessarily have to have the same budget, but we can’t be too far off either if we want to continue to be competitive on the field.”
Notre Dame is lucky to have Marcus Freeman
There has been a lot of buzz recently about Freeman’s status as the Irish’s head coach. Many top collegiate head coaching vacancies have already been filled, most notably LSU’s hiring of former Ole Miss leader Lane Kiffin to replace former Tigers and Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly. Still, some remain open or could open by season’s end.
“That’s a guy that I would want to be hiring right now. That’s a guy that I would be investing in right now.”#NotreDamehttps://t.co/Q76aypuYrl
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) December 3, 2025
Here’s looking at you, Penn State. What might be an even more intriguing possibility for Freeman is an NFL head coaching gig, such as the New York Giants, a franchise that has reportedly expressed interest in Freeman filling the role left open when former head coach Brian Daboll was fired in November.
Whether there’s a legitimate chance the Irish lose Freeman this offseason or not, they should feel fortunate to have him while they do. Notre Dame’s on-field results speak for themselves during Freeman’s four seasons as head coach, including a National Championship appearance and a combined 43-11 record. However, Freeman’s most significant impact continues to be in his recruiting success.
“He has an unbelievable way of connecting with people, and he was able to do that with this entire class,” Martin said. “He’s on a lot of billboards, on a lot of signs. If we could put him on more, we would. He’s the one you want out front. He’s just dynamic in his ability to connect.”
Freeman’s approach to recruiting impacts prospects, their families, and even Notre Dame’s staff. And it’s rubbing off on new faces within the Irish’s building like Martin.
They’d better hope Freeman stays in South Bend to remain the leader of that charge.
“We’re able to connect with these young men on a personal level and build genuine relationships. That doesn’t happen,” Martin said. “… This place isn’t for everyone, but for the young men that this place is for, they get it.”
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleSmedley03.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football has its best National Signing Day of Freeman era
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