Just ahead of Notre Dame’s big recruiting weekend, Marcus Freeman and Co. got some bad news: one of their top wide receiver targets is no longer planning to visit South Bend. Osani Gayles was once thought to be a future Fighting Irish commit, but something in the last few weeks led the 4-star receiver to drop them off his list.
Gayles is set to make his commitment on June 27th, and while he initially made his final five schools, ND is now effectively, if not officially, off the list. The wide receiver made three official visits before canceling his official visit to South Bend, and it looks like he will now choose among Stanford, Alabama, or Washington.
Osani Gayles was one of the longer shots on the list of 2027 prospects expected to commit to Notre Dame. Still, it was originally thought that the 5-foot-11 wide receiver had official visits set with all the final schools he was considering. Stanford got the first OV on May 23, followed by Alabama on May 29, Washington on June 6, and Tennessee on June 13. Last month, it looked like the Fighting Irish were getting the final shot.
Gayles had scheduled an official visit on June 20 and was then set to announce his school a week later. That Marcus Freeman and Co. would have had the last shot was considered a very good sign. For whatever reason, the wide receiver took them off the board.
Osani Gayles cancellation forces Notre Dame football to pivot at wide receiver
According to a report from 247Sports, Zach Blostein, the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder, has not only canceled his visit to Tennessee but also to Notre Dame. There is at least something to take away from this: he’s also no longer considering the Volunteers. However, the fact that the Irish lost to Stanford of all teams is a bit mystifying.
The loss of Gayles is a big one. He’s rated as the No. 8 wide receiver, No. 5 player out of the state of Florida, and the No. 46 player in the class according to 247Sports Composite.
On the other hand, Notre Dame isn’t completely dead in the water. While there aren’t that many top-ranked wide receivers still uncommitted, there is one that also happens to be a legacy prospect.
Notre Dame now has to go all in and win the recruiting fight for Julius Jones Jr. The good news is that while Osani Gayles has cut ND out of the race, the Fighting Irish have at least a chance to fight and fight hard.
Add us as a preferred source on Google