Over the last few weeks, there’s been plenty of talk about how hot Marcus Freeman has been on the recruiting trail for the Notre Dame football program. While it’s been a little while since Freeman and his staff pulled in a commit, that doesn’t mean they’ve cooled off. The latest sign Freeman still very much has his mojo, especially in his ongoing fight against USC for some of the top recruits in the country, is that elite defensive lineman Khary Wilder is changing up his visit schedule.
The good news is that Wilder is moving up when he visits South Bend. The really good news is that his changing his visit schedule directly negatively affects Lincoln Riley and the Trojans.
Notre Dame just scored a quiet win in a high-stakes recruiting battle for Khary Wilder
On3’s Mike Singer reported earlier this week that Wilder swapped USC with the Notre Dame football program on his official visit schedule. For now, the Trojans are officially out of the race for the defender rated as a 4-star prospect and the No. 24 defensive lineman and No. 24 player in California, according to On3.
Wilder is now slated to visit the Fighting Irish on June 13. He’ll be checking out the city during a time when Freeman and company will be incredibly busy. The month will mark a final push towards the 2026 signing day.
With one of the best classes in the country already, Notre Dame is looking to make it even better. Certainly, locking down one of the best defensive linemen in the class would do that in spades.
Getting the visit and overcoming USC doesn’t mean the fight is over. Wilder is still planning an official visit to Washington on June 20, UCLA on June 6, and Ohio State on May 30.
There is always the concern that one of those earlier visits could sell Khary Wilder on committing early. But that doesn’t seem to be how things are going this year with Marcus Freeman and his Notre Dame football team. He’s got all the rizz in 2025.