The Notre Dame recruiting avalanche just kicked off with a fast-rising defender opting for the Fighting Irish
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Notre Dame football landed a very intriguing 2027 commitment this week. It is just the beginning of a strong stretch on the trail.
Notre Dame football is expecting a bit of a recruiting avalanche for the 2027 class over the next several weeks. That includes several potential crucial additions from the state of Florida. That got kicked off on Wednesday when the Fighting Irish landed 2027 Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna defensive back John Gay III over Florida and Ole Miss, among others.
Gay is a player that head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish staff have been pushing for over the last several weeks. That includes a visit from the Florida native this past weekend, which obviously went tremendously. Notre Dame is also in a great spot with fellow Florida standouts Julius Jones Jr., Zayden Gamble, and Champ Monds.
As of today, Notre Dame is the favorite for all three of those targets, and there are a few other Sunshine State stars that the team is pushing for. It was a struggle recruiting Florida for a very long time, especially during the Brian Kelly era. Freeman and Co. seem to be changing those issues.
John Gay III’s recruiting background
When Notre Dame offered Gay, he was not rated by any of the major recruiting platforms. He is now considered to be a consensus three-star player. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Gay ranked as the No. 812 overall player, the No. 79 safety, and the No. 83 player from the state of Florida for the 2027 recruiting class, which should continue to trend upward.
Despite those underwhelming rankings, Gay has continued to expand his offer list this offseason. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Auburn, Missouri, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Iowa, Boston College, Virginia Tech, SMU, Pitt, Wake Forest, Minnesota, FAU, and South Florida, among others.
As a junior in 2025, Gay put together a strong season for Chaminade-Madonna. In 12 games, Gay finished with 32 total tackles, one interception, and three pass breakups. The 6-1, 185-pound defensive back also managed to record three tackles for loss and scored a defensive touchdown. The majority of Gay’s production came while playing the slot.
The 6-1, 185-pound defensive back has a unique blend of size, length, and movement skills to wear a lot of different hats for a defense. While Gay plays mostly in the slot in high school, there should be no issue for him to grow into a full-time safety on the college level. It also wouldn’t shock me if some teams would want to give a look at outside corner. That versatility makes Gay extremely interesting, and he has the potential to be a huge riser in this class.
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