It has been one heck of an April for the Notre Dame football program.
Marcus Freeman and company have rocketed up the standings in the recruiting rankings thanks to some huge commitments, and they might be in store for another. One of the top recruiting analysts in the country believes that the Fighting Irish are in line to land one of the best safeties in the 2026 class.
Notre Dame football trending for elite 2026 safety after impactful visit
On3’s Steve Wiltfong has logged a “Fongbomb” for Notre Dame to secure the commitment of safety prospect Ayden Pouncey. The prediction comes just one day after the Irish hosted pouncey for an unofficial visit and it certainly appears as though they made a spectacular impression.
Notre Dame has On3's No. 5 ranked class & Wednesday they hosted a top target in DB Ayden Pouncey.
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) April 23, 2025
“How they develop DBs every year but also outside of football it’s one of the best educations you can get and those connections last for life.”
Story: https://t.co/qPEMsP9QWl pic.twitter.com/CZc7dhC7Pa
As has often been the case when it comes to Notre Dame and their recruiting, what apparently really struck Pouncey’s fancy wasn’t just about how good the Irish are on the football field. It’s about what an education in South Bend has to offer once the playing days are over.
“How they develop DBs every year,” Pouncey told Wiltfong “But also outside of football it’s one of the best educations you can get and those connections last for life.”
The Fongbomb is excellent news because Ayden is not the first member of the Pouncey family that Notre Dame has recruited. So far, they haven’t had much success.
A class of 2017 prospect, Jordan Pouncey actually committed to Notre Dame in June 2016. However, he eventually flipped to Texas and finished his career with Florida. 2020 cornerback Ethan Pouncey got an Irish offer but he ended up going with the Gators as well. He’s still playing, as he transferred to Georgia Southern. 2025 will be his final year of college ball.
Ayden Pouncey had been thought to be leaning towards the Florida Gators until very recently. However, his visit to see the Notre Dame football program left a lasting impression, and Marcus Freeman could be about to lock down another top-ranked recruit.