Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has often preached a "next man up" philosophy to his team. That philosophy applies to recruiting as well. After seeing 4-star defensive back Khalil Terry decommit earlier this week, the Fighting Irish have received several predictions for other prospects. One such prediction is that John Gay III could slide right into Terry's spot in the 2027 class.
On Monday, Rivals analyst Mike Singer put in an official prediction for Gay to end up in South Bend. If that does come to pass, it would mean Freeman and Co. won a battle against some impressive opponents, including Florida's Jon Sumrall.
Notre Dame football squaring off with Jon Sumrall for talented safety
The Gators are becoming a bit of a recruiting rival for Notre Dame in the 2027 and 2028 classes. Sumrall won one of the first skirmishes earlier this spring when Florida scored 4-star quarterback prospect David Davidson.
In addition to Florida and the Irish, Gay is being heavily pursued by Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Auburn, Iowa, Virginia Tech, and others. He's one of the rising stars of the class despite currently only meriting a 3-star rating.
Notre Dame football is the consensus leader for John Gay III
On Tuesday, Zach Blostein, an analyst with the Florida State site on 247Sports, put in his own prediction that Gay would commit to Notre Dame. The Seminoles are also after the Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Miami, FL) product; however, Blostein thinks they've now lost that battle.
One reason why Gay is so coveted is his speed and ability when it comes to track and field. Earlier in his high school career, he was part of a 4x100 squad that took second at Florida 2A state meet. His speed has seen top markers include 11.17 (-0.2) in the 100 and 22.70 (2.0) in the 200.
It's not clear when exactly John Gay III is will pull the trigger on a commitment. But when he does, Notre Dame will be sitting pretty.
Add us as a preferred source on Google