Notre Dame may have just gotten a massive recruiting boost for a top visitor this weekend, and it wasn’t even the home team
Notre Dame football gets one step closer with a dynamic 2026 recruiting target.
When we talk about recruiting during the college football season, typically the conversations center around top targets visiting campus. In the case of Notre Dame football, it might have just made a massive impression during its game against the Pitt Panthers, and it wasn’t even hosting any recruits in South Bend. The Irish did, however, get to showcase their talented squad in front of a talented 2026 recruit.
During Notre Dame’s victory over the Navy Midshipmen a couple of weeks ago, 2026 McDonald (Pa.) Fort Cherry four-star safety Matt Sieg made the trip to campus for a visit. The Penn State commit has been keeping his options open since James Franklin was fired about a month ago. The Fighting Irish are viewed as a top contender for Sieg right now.
Sieg saw Notre Dame once again in person over the weekend, this time visiting Pittsburgh, another program high on his list. Despite being the road team, the Irish put on a strong showing during their 37-15 victory. There shouldn’t be much question about how talented a team that the Irish are for Sieg, and the more he gets to see them in person, the better.
With only a few weeks until National Signing Day, the Pittsburgh native will need to start making some decisions soon. Notre Dame is believed to be in a strong spot, but it will need to try to close the deal. He could be the missing piece to an already elite secondary group for the 2026 class.
Matt Sieg’s recruiting snapshot
Sieg is considered a four-star player by 247 Sports and ESPN, while On3 rates him as a three-star player, for whatever reason. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Sieg sits as the No. 180 overall player, the No. 16 safety, and the No. 5 player in the state of Pennsylvania for the 2026 recruiting class. Pennsylvania is a state that the Irish staff has been exploring in this class so far, and hopes to do so one more time.
Outside of the Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish, Sieg has been pursued by a long list of impressive programs during his recruitment. 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 so far in 2025, Sieg is putting together a tremendous season on both sides of the football. On top of his work on defense, the 6-0, 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. 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. There are several positions Sieg could make an impact while playing.
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