Notre Dame football aiming to take advantage of the James Franklin situation by adding to an already crowded pool of talent
Notre Dame is making very interesting push in the 2026 recruiting class.
With the firing of head coach James Franklin, the Penn State Nittany Lions are now tasked with holding on to as much talent as they possibly can, both on the roster already and on the recruiting trail. We have already seen that toll on the 2026 recruiting class, and things will only get worse before they get better. Current commits will continue to keep their options open, and they should.
In terms of the best overall football players still committed, there may not be anyone better than McDonald (Pa.) Fort Cherry safety Matt Sieg. An extremely talented athlete, the Pennsylvania native has not decommitted from the Nittany Lions. He is, however, taking visits and seeing what else is out there.
Along with both Indiana and Pittsburgh, Notre Dame has been mentioned as a school of interest for the talented athlete. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish staff have done a tremendous job in the Keystone State during the 2026 class so far, including holding commitments from defensive back Joey O’Brien and offensive tackle Grayson McKeough. According to Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney, Sieg is taking a trip to Notre Dame on November 8th for their game against the Navy Midshipmen.
It is still early in this process, but clearly there is some interest in Notre Dame. With Penn State being in transition, their staff has been very supportive of the commits as they decide their next steps. Sieg was very complimentary of the Nittany Lion staff through the tough times, according to Gorney’s piece.
“They’ve just reiterated their message that they love us all and they’re hoping everything works out for us there,” Sieg told Gorney. “It’s a great family and they’ve been super supportive with lots of advice along the way.”
Clearly, Notre Dame is pushing for Sieg, which is an interesting overall situation. They already hold five commitments in the secondary for the 2026 class, including O’Brien, Ayden Pouncey, Khary Adams, Chaston Smith, and Nick Reddish. Six does feel like a huge number, but it appears Sieg may just be too talented to say no to. We will see how well their push goes next month.
Matt Sieg recruiting background
Sieg is considered to be a four-star recruit by both 247 Sports and ESPN currently, while On3 has him rated as a three-star player. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Sieg sits as the No. 174 overall player, the No. 16 safety, and the No. 5 player in the state of Pennsylvania for the 2026 recruiting class. Pennsylvania is an area that the Irish staff has been tapping into a lot in the class so far.
Outside of the Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish, Sieg has been pursued by a long list of impressive programs. Some of his other top offers include Alabama, USC, Nebraska, Missouri, Indiana, Pittsburgh, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Minnesota, Rutgers, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Stanford, Syracuse, and Purdue, among others.
As a senior, Sieg is putting together a tremendous season. On top of his work on the defensive side of the football, the 5-11, 190-pound athlete has also been dynamic for his offense. Sieg has been an outstanding running back and quarterback throughout his career, having rushed for 5,295 yards and 90 touchdowns coming into the year.
Sieg has also thrown for 3,176 yards and 39 touchdowns as a passer as well. Fort Cherry has also utilized him as a return man and a stellar defensive player. His versatility should allow him to become a defensive weapon on the next level.
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