Notre Dame's 2028 recruiting class early offensive wish list features sons of former NFL stars, elite size on the line

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Who are the early names to know for Notre Dame’s 2028 recruiting class? The offensive target board is loaded with a ton of talent.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2027 recruiting class is nearly wrapped up, and head coach Marcus Freeman’s staff is already pushing hard in the 2028 cycle. Notre Dame football recruiting under Freeman continues to trend upward, and there is no reason to believe the next class can’t be another elite group. The Fighting Irish currently hold three commitments in the 2028 class, headlined by talented New Jersey quarterback Trey Tagliaferri.

With the quarterback spot addressed, the offensive board is starting to take shape around him. Here is an early wish list of some of the top offensive targets Notre Dame is pursuing in 2028.

Running backs

Two running backs stand out early, and both have compelling connections to the Notre Dame program.

The first is Xander Edwards from Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida. Edwards is the son of former Notre Dame running back Marc Edwards, who starred for the Fighting Irish in the 1990s. The younger Edwards waited for his offer from Notre Dame for quite some time before the staff extended one over the last week or so.

At 6-2 and 215 pounds, Edwards is coming off a sophomore season in which he rewrote the record books in Florida, including breaking Derrick Henry’s single-game rushing record. Despite his bigger frame, Edwards possesses unique athleticism and explosiveness after running for well over 2,000 yards last year. He is the type of power back who could bring a high floor to the table as he continues to develop.

If Notre Dame opts to take two running backs in the 2028 class, Zaiden Jernigan out of Louisville, Mississippi, would complement Edwards extremely well. At 5-11 and 195 pounds, Jernigan is an explosive runner with home run ability every time he touches the football. He camped in South Bend this offseason and left a strong impression on the staff. The two backs are very different players, and if there is any way to take both, the pairing would be outstanding.

Wide receivers

Two early names stand out on the perimeter for Notre Dame fans to watch.

Jaylen Addai is the son of former Indianapolis Colts running back and LSU standout Joseph Addai. The younger Addai plays at Shadow Creek in Pearland, Texas, and is considered one of the top wide receivers in the 2028 class early on. With how well Notre Dame has recruited the sons of former NFL players, Addai should be on everyone’s radar. He is a dynamic weapon who affects space at a high level and brings tremendous upside as a complete wide receiver.

The second name is more of a local target. Lorenzo McMullen Jr. out of Princeton High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a player Notre Dame has a high opinion of early. Ohio State has not yet gotten heavily involved with McMullen, which is a positive sign for the Irish. He has already visited South Bend, demonstrating real interest, and there is a lot of optimism about where Notre Dame stands.

Landing the duo of Addai and McMullen would be an outstanding wide receiver haul regardless of how many pass catchers the staff takes in the class.

Tight end

Grant Bowen out of Immaculate Conception in Elmhurst, Illinois, is an intriguing tight end target. If that high school sounds familiar, it is the same program that produced Notre Dame defensive end Dominik Hulak in the 2025 recruiting class. At 6-4 and 225 pounds, Bowen is a jumbo athlete with the talent to play tight end or linebacker, but Notre Dame likes him on the offensive side of the football. He has the skill set to become a mismatch weapon at the next level.

Offensive line

Two offensive linemen deserve a close eye early in this cycle.

Lincoln Fa’alafi out of JSerra Catholic in San Juan Capistrano, California, checks in at 6-7.5 and 350 pounds. Fa’alafi is a tremendously talented offensive tackle who has a good opinion of Notre Dame so far. Landing the California native will require a significant push given his elite offer list, but Notre Dame has made a strong early impression.

Staying in Illinois, Wyatt VanBoening out of Carmel Catholic in Mundelein is a 6-7, 280-pound offensive tackle who camped at Notre Dame this offseason. Offensive line coach Joe Rudolph has a well-documented history of wanting to get prospects on campus for workouts and letting his own evaluations carry significant weight. VanBoening has gone through those rounds of evaluation, and his combination of length and athleticism at that size makes him an incredibly impressive early target.

Freeman and his staff have a lot of work ahead of them, but the 2028 offensive board is loaded with upside. The next several months will tell us a great deal about which of these targets the Irish can close on.

This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Notre Dame’s 2028 recruiting class early offensive wish list features sons of former NFL stars, elite size on the line

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