Notre Dame football: Irish reclaim No. 1 2023 recruiting class
By Brad Weiss
With their commitment from Braylon James on Tuesday night, the Notre Dame football team once again has the No. 1 2023 recruiting class.
When Marcus Freeman joined the Notre Dame football coaching staff last year, he brought with him a reputation of not only being a great coach on the field but an elite recruiter off of it. He dominated the recruiting circuit as the team’s defensive coordinator heading into last season, and now, as the head coach, he is taking the program to new heights.
Notre Dame football has had no issue getting top talent to come to the school, but is starting to push themselves into rarified air. No longer are they taking a back seat to the Alabama and Georgias of the world, but instead, have become the key program for the 2023 recruiting cycle.
On Tuesday, thanks to the commitment from wide receiver Braylon James, the Irish stand on top of the world.
In their updated team rankings,247Sports.com has the Irish back at No.1 in the country, this after James made his commitment on Tuesday night. The Irish had fallen to No. 2 after Justyn Rhett de-committed earlier in the week, and more help could be on the way.
Four-star offensive lineman Sam Pendleton from North Carolina is expected to announce his commitment on April 25, and most experts believe he will be Irish as well.
Notre Dame football is loading up for the 2023 cycle
All told, the Irish have landed nine commitments for the 2023 recruiting cycle, led by Keon Keeley, a five-star edge rusher from Florida. In fact, they have landed three defensive players who are considered top-5 at their position in the country, including Keeley, linebacker Drayk Bowen, and safety Peyton Bowen.
James is the top-ranked offensive player to commit so far and is ranked a top-15 player in the State of Texas, a huge testament to how good a player he is.
Freeman has come in and changed the way things are done in terms of recruiting, and with the assets he has at Notre Dame, the sky is the limit for this program. He and his staff are bridging the gap between them and the teams that usually land in the top-4 every year, and the 2023 class has the chance to be the best recruiting class the Irish have seen in a long time.