Notre Dame football loses grip on 4-star stud in recruiting shakeup

Since Marcus Freeman has come to South Bend, Notre Dame football has had a new kind of success in recruiting the best players in every class. The Fighting Irish are new and cool again, even while they're still considered one of the big bags of college sports.

Notre Dame stands as one of the elite programs in the nation, a coveted destination for aspiring athletes. Its stringent admission standards further enhance its allure. Hence, it's a jolt when a prospect reveals their potential choices, and Notre Dame finds itself unexpectedly excluded. 

Notre Dame football loses grip on Jayvan Boggs in recruiting shakeup

Just a few months ago, it looked as though the Irish were not only a front-runner for Jayvan Boggs but the frontrunner. Then something happened. It's not remotely clear what that something was.

Boggs visited South Bend and had glowing things to say about it, especially with Mike Denbrock. Just a few weeks later, however, there were signs that Boggs was souring on Marcus Freeman and company. He talked about his favorite schools, and Notre Dame was absent.

Earlier this week, Boggs made it official. The Golden Domers are out of the running entirely.

The 4-star wide receiver, one of the best in the class by a wide margin, announced his final four. He also announced he's pulling the trigger on his next school on the Fourth of July. Georgia, Missouri, UCF and USC are the final candidates.

This is one of those recruiting shakeups that's going to sting for a while. Notre Dame football is looking to become a place where the best receivers in the class feel like they want to call South Bend home. That took a hit with Boggs, leaving them in the dust.

Notre Dame football is going back to the drawing board at this point. They're moving on from Jayvan Boggs. But at some point, a long look at why the Florida receiver turned his back on the Irish is needed.