Notre Dame Football Mailbag: Al Washington and his recruiting blunders, and a new trend with the Fighting Irish
It might be late February, but there is always something to talk about concerning Notre Dame football. We are only a few weeks until spring practice beginning, and both defensive coordinator Chris Ash and running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider were officially introduced to the media on Wednesday. Most coaches do well in these types of […]
It might be late February, but there is always something to talk about concerning Notre Dame football. We are only a few weeks until spring practice beginning, and both defensive coordinator Chris Ash and running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider were officially introduced to the media on Wednesday. Most coaches do well in these types of introductory settings, but I just admit, I became a lot more comfortable with Coach Ash after hearing him speak.
In this week’s mailbag, I wanted to talk a little bit about the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine and the former Irish stars who will be participating, as well as Al Washington and his recruiting, and an overall shift in philosophy for Notre Dame. It might be a slightly shorter mailbag, but it consists of some very, very important topics.
Al Washington and defensive line recruiting
I’m going to leave it as simply as I can with Coach Washington. At this point, you have to show me what kind of true recruiting impact you can have. Notre Dame still has a very strong board even with Simote Katoanga committing to USC, but your margin for error just decreased. I do like here they are with players like McHale Blade, Elijah Golden and Tiki Hola, but he has to close.
Coach Washington has actually done a pretty nice job recruiting the EDGE spots the last couple of years. Having players like Boubacar Traore, Bryce Young, and Loghan Thomas in the room is awesome. The issue is that defensive tackle recruiting has been mostly abysmal since he’s been here. Something has to change, or questions will continue to be asked.
There is a lack of focus at times, but it appears Coach Washington has been pretty locked in so far in the 2026 recruiting class. If the Irish aren’t able to close, it’ll be because they just flat out missed. Whatever the reason for missing, it would be concerning to say the very least.
Recruiting trend
Notre Dame has changed their approach for the 2026 class. Even before Chad Bowden left for USC, they were being patient and selective in the class. They ran into some issues in 2025 with taking some players too early, and suffering some flips along the way. This new strategy may make some fans uncomfortable, but the patience is intentional.
Fighting Irish at the Combine
As many of you know, the NFL Draft space is my roots. I’m excited to be able to cover the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine this week, and that includes several Notre Dame players who will be participating in Indianapolis.
Of the eight Notre Dame players who are participating, the most eyes will be in the secondary. Will cornerback Benjamin Morrison be able to test in any capacity? I have my doubts. Safety Xavier Watts might have the most money on the line this week as well. If he tests well, expect him to continue to climb up boards and potentially solidify his spot in the top 50 come April.
One of the storylines that nobody is talking about is the show that quarterback Riley Leonard could put together. While his throwing is still very inconsistent, Leonard is an outstanding athlete. I expect him to run fast, jump high, and look very impressive moving on the field.
Former Notre Dame LB Jack Kiser gives Irish fans a peek into the next college football and NFL Draft stars to know
Future Notre Dame draft prospects to know.
