Marcus Freeman on recruiting in the NIL era: ‘It’s not going to be a decision based off money’

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Since NIL’s arrival in July 2021, the recruiting world has changed drastically. In fact, this past June was the most expensive yet, as On3’s Pete Nakos detailed.

When it comes to navigating the ever-changing space, though, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said his message isn’t about dollar signs. Instead, he sells other aspects of the Fighting Irish program and the university as a whole.

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To Freeman, the NIL part of the recruiting pitch doesn’t carry as much weight since Notre Dame’s can make similar offers as other top programs. That’s why it comes down to making a pitch about what separates the Irish from the rest of the suitors.

“For us, the players we’re recruiting … it’s not going to be a decision based off money, right?” Freeman said on Not Just Football with Cam Heyward. “They’re all in the same ballpark, in terms of the guys we recruit. It’s just trying to get them to understand, put money aside … do you see the value in everything outside of football here? Because the same things, at the end of the day, that we are going to show young people about the game of football are the same things that the top schools in the country are going to continue to sell about their program.

“So we have to continue to show them why you do certain things differently here. Why it’s this small school, but the value of it. And not everybody wants it. That’s okay. But we have to make sure they understand that.”

That messaging, Freeman said, comes from when Notre Dame recruited him before he committed to Ohio State. He knew about the Fighting Irish’s history as a program, but didn’t know much about the school. As he enters his fifth season as head coach, he wants to make sure recruits know about life in South Bend beyond the football field.

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“I always say, like, I want to recruit [the] Marcus Freeman that knew about Notre Dame football, but I didn’t know, really, about the university and what it can do for you beyond the game of football,” Freeman said. “We just have to make sure we educate each and every student-athlete that we think will fit here and have success here, at least educate them on that. Then, again, let them make the the right decision for themselves.”

Notre Dame has seen success on the recruiting trail as of late. The Fighting Irish brought in the No. 2-ranked recruiting class from the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Ranking, and currently have the No. 2 overall group in 2027, as well.

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