Notre Dame's pursuit of an underrated defender just got foiled heading into what would have been an intriguing OV
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Notre Dame had an intriguing official visit scheduled for this week. That is no longer on the table after recent recruiting news.
Notre Dame football kicked off its official visits this past weekend, and there has been some outstanding feedback for the 2027 recruiting class. One piece of bad news did surface with their pursuit of Miami (Fla.) North Miami Beach four-star safety Andre Hyppolite. He was scheduled to officially visit South Bend on Monday, but that trip will not be happening.
Hyppolite committed to the Miami Hurricanes over the weekend, a school that was considered his favorite for some time. Despite that, head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish had piqued his interest. That’s what made this potential upcoming trip so interesting.
According to a couple of sources, both on the Notre Dame and Miami sides, it does appear that there was some pressure on Hyppolite to cancel that trip and make his commitment. In the wonderful world of NIL and recruiting, it’s easier for some of these schools to push recruits to make quick decisions. For head coach Mario Cristobal and Miami, it worked, landing one of the fastest risers of any safety in the 2027 class.
For Notre Dame, it’s a bummer, but they already have an extremely talented safety duo in John Gay Jr. and Zayden Gamble. The Irish also have commitments from cornerbacks Xavier Hasan and Ace Alston, which makes for a tremendous overall secondary class. They are also in heavy pursuit of Texas commit Karnell “Greedy” James, which could be the finishing touches for an elite group.
Secondary coach Aaron Henry has the unfortunate task of following up Mike Mickens, who was one of the best Notre Dame assistants we have seen in a very long time. A strong finish to his first recruiting class would go a long way toward making a good early impression.
Andre Hyppolite’s recruiting background
Hyppolite is considered to be a three or four-star player, depending on which of the major recruiting platforms you look at. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Hyppolite is currently rated as a four-star, the No. 142 overall player, the No. 10 safety, and the No. 15 player from the state of Florida for the 2027 recruiting class. Rivals is the highest on him, ranking Hyppolite as the No. 105 overall player in the country.
A long and impressive group of programs has been pursuing Hyppolite. Some of his top offers included the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Miami, Auburn, Florida State, Indiana, Louisville, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Colorado, Pitt, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Syracuse, West Virginia, and Wake Forest, among many others.
As a junior in 2025, the 6-1, 180-pound defensive back put together a tremendous season for North Miami Beach. On defense, Hyppolite managed to collect 63 total tackles and five interceptions. He also hauled in 32 receptions for 405 yards and four touchdowns on offense. This is a diverse and extremely talented overall athlete.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Notre Dame’s pursuit of an underrated defender just got foiled heading into what would have been an intriguing OV
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