Notre Dame football has been putting in a lot of work on the 2027 recruiting class this offseason, including several big visitor weekends. Head coach Marcus Freeman is hoping for some great news in the future, and the Fighting Irish staff has been pushing hard for several top targets in the state of Florida.

For anyone who doesn’t follow recruiting closely, Florida is one of the best states in terms of developing college talent. It is also not an area that Notre Dame hasn’t hit on consistently enough, but we have seen an uptick under Freeman. That appears to be changing in the 2027 recruiting class. The Irish are in a great spot with several impressive football players.

The Irish do hold a commitment from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy linebacker Amarri Irvin, and they are working diligently to keep him in the class after a coaching change this offseason. If they do, Irvin is a great start to their efforts in Florida. It doesn’t stop there.

QB Wonderful “Champ” Monds IV – Vero Beach (Fla.) High School

Notre Dame made a huge move with Monds this past weekend, and they have now moved up to the top of the leaderboard for hum. Not only did the Irish sell the fit to Monds and his family, but they also made it very well known how much he means to their class. As of today, this is Notre Dame’s recruitment to lose.

WR Julius Jones Jr. – Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas

The Irish legacy is set to make his commitment on June 27. Barring something unforeseen, this is a Notre Dame-Oregon battle for Jones. He is an easy separator with outstanding speed. This is a must-get for the Irish, and I think they do get him in the end.

S Zayden Gamble – Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas

Gamble is the teammate of Jones, and that relationship matters. Notre Dame is in the final group for Gamble along with Ohio State, Florida, and Miami. The Irish are also in a great spot. He would be a great addition on the back end for the team, especially after the decommitment of Khalil Terry.

S John Gay – Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna

There is a lot of information flying out there on Gay right now. His relationship with new Notre Dame assistant Shaun Shivers has been very important. The Irish staff made a huge impression last weekend. They are the unquestioned leader to land him.

Outside of those four players that Notre Dame leads for, there are several other targets from the Sunshine State to know. That includes Tampa Bay (Fla.) Jesuit linebacker Kaden Henderson, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy wide receiver Osani Gayles, and Lakeland (Fla.) High School defensive end Santana Harvey. Each of those players has visited South Bend over the last few weeks.

As of today, Notre Dame probably has the best chance with Gayles, but there has been some positive momentum with Henderson and Harvey recently. There is a lot of work to be done. I would never count out Freeman when it comes to closing the deal.