Notre Dame 2028 recruiting wish list features defensive targets with tremendous upside, continued impact in New Jersey
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The Notre Dame 2027 recruiting class is coming to a close. Who are the top 2028 defensive recruiting targets for the Fighting Irish?
Notre Dame football and head coach Marcus Freeman have built serious recruiting momentum over the last several cycles, and the 2027 class is already nearing completion. The Fighting Irish are not slowing down. With the 2028 recruiting class now coming into focus, there are some fascinating defensive targets on the early wish list for Notre Dame.
Freeman continues to up his game on the recruiting trail, and there is no reason to believe the program can’t put together another elite haul. At A to Z Sports, we previously looked at the offensive side of the 2028 wish list. Now it is time to turn to the defense.
Defensive line targets bring versatility and explosiveness
Two talented pass rushers made the trip to South Bend this offseason, camped at Notre Dame, and each earned an offer.
The first is Asa Burch out of Warren (Ohio) Harding. Burch is a long, explosive edge rusher with the kind of frame that allows him to add significant weight, which makes his developmental ceiling extremely appealing. Merrick Ham out of Marietta (Ga.) High School is in a similar mold at about 6-5 or 6-6.
Both players project as edge defenders, but in the modern game of college football, programs want to play multiple fronts. If Notre Dame wants a defense that can rotate between three- and four-man fronts, both Burch and Hamm have the potential to move up and down the line of scrimmage.
What their ultimate position looks like at the college level will be worth monitoring, but the Fighting Irish would love for that development to happen in blue and gold.
Tahj Gray continues Notre Dame’s New Jersey pipeline at linebacker
Notre Dame has enjoyed a recent surge in recruiting out of New Jersey, and linebacker Tahj Gray fits that trend. The St. Joseph’s Regional product stands at 6-3.5 and over 230 pounds, bringing a big frame and downhill attacking style to the inside linebacker position.
Gray is a close personal friend of 2027 Notre Dame defensive end commit Jackson Vaughn and attended Vaughn’s commitment ceremony. That connection matters. Notre Dame has made a strong early impression on Gray, and the staff hopes to continue building on its progress as the program keeps tapping into the talent-rich Garden State.
Secondary targets headline the 2028 wish list
The back end of this wish list is where things get particularly exciting for the Fighting Irish.
Phoenix Evans is a familiar name if you follow Notre Dame recruiting. Previously from New Jersey, Evans now plays at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy. A smaller cornerback at about 5-10 and 175 pounds, Evans has inside and outside versatility and tremendous upside as a coverage savant. He camped at Notre Dame after his freshman season and earned an offer from the Fighting Irish.
Since then, Evans has become a key target in the 2028 class. He has connections to current Notre Dame commits, and those relationships have continued to grow. Notre Dame valued Evans back when Mike Mickens was the secondary coach, and under Aaron Henry, that interest has stayed very high.
The state of New Jersey also has a pair of talented cornerbacks at Jersey City St. Peter’s Prep, home of 2027 Notre Dame offensive tackle commit Olu Olubobola. Adrian and Amiir Woodward are twins who bring a ton of versatility to the table as defensive backs. Notre Dame offered the twins at the same time, and things have been in a good spot early on. This could be a potential two-for-one situation where the Fighting Irish land two of the better covermen in the 2028 class.
Safety James Foster III presents a challenge worth pursuing
As we have seen in recent years, Notre Dame figures to go big game hunting at safety in this cycle. James Foster III out of Lancaster, Texas certainly fits that bill. He is one of the more diverse and versatile safeties in the 2028 recruiting class, and the Fighting Irish are a top school early on.
Getting Foster out of the Lone Star State will not be easy. The Texas Longhorns continue to push hard for the talented safety, and this battle is not going to end anytime soon. Notre Dame has a lot to offer, though, and the staff clearly views Foster as a priority target worth the fight.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Notre Dame 2028 recruiting wish list features defensive targets with tremendous upside, continued impact in New Jersey
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