One of the most interesting and exciting aspects of this era of Notre Dame football is the number of sons of former NFL players who have decided to play in South Bend. Jaylen Addai is the latest Irish target that Marcus Freeman and Co. hope will follow suit.
Addai is not just the son of former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Joseph Addai. The 5-star prospect's father was a 2006 NFL Draft first-round pick (30th overall) by the Colts. He spent six years with Indy, winning Super Bowl XLI and earning 2007 Pro Bowl honors. In college, he was a member of LSU's 2003 national championship team.
While Dad definitely has an impressive resume, Jaylen Addai is quickly making a name for himself. Notre Dame is just the latest Power 4 program that's hoping to land him, and the battle over his services will be as pitched as any in his recruiting cycle.
The 5-foot-11, 165-pound 5-star wide receiver from Shadow Creek High School (Pearland, TX) is ranked as the No. 6 player in the 2028 class, the No. 3 player at his wide receiver position, and the No. 1 player in the state of Texas, according to Rivals Industry Rankings.
Marcus Freeman and Mike Brown have unique connection to Notre Dame football target Jaylen Addai
In addition to Notre Dame, Addai has offers from Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Houston, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, and USC, among many, many others. Overall, the wide receiver has more than 40 offers, and it seems that number might only grow as the 2028 cycle continues.
Addai caught 37 passes for 779 yards and 14 touchdowns during his 2025 sophomore season at Shadow Creek, averaging 21.1 yards per reception in a breakout season that saw his recruiting profile skyrocket.
While the fight over Jaylen Addai will be a pitched one, there is more than one reason why Notre Dame might have an upper hand. That the Irish have so many former NFLers, trust their sons to play under Freeman; trusting is the first advantage. When Hall of Famers like Larry Fitzgerald and Jerome Bettis are sending their sons to the same school at the same time, many, many people take notice.
However, that's only the first advantage. There's also the little tidbit that Addai's cousin, Michael Young Jr., played three seasons in South Bend. He can certainly tell his cousin about all the benefits an education at Notre Dame can offer. But wait... there's more!
When Young transferred to Cincinnati in 2017, he played under now-Irish wide receivers coach Mike Brown, while Marcus Freeman served as the Bearcats’ defensive coordinator. So not only can he tell his cousin about what South Bend offers, but he can also tell Jaylen Addai how Brown and Freeman work as coaches.
That last part is something most of the other recruits Notre Dame is pursuing won't get. Any tidbits they get about the coaching approach will be framed in the best possible light (or, from rivals, the worst). But with the 5-star receiver prospect's unique connections to the sport and the program, it feels as though the Irish have a very big leg up. That Addai's unofficial visit to South Bend offered what he said was an "unmatched environment," it's possible ND is about to get a massive win.
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