Notre Dame swoops in and lands a high upside offensive weapon over a front-running Big Ten program
Notre Dame finally lands their first wide receiver commit in the 2027 recruiting class, and it is an extremely interesting one.
When Notre Dame football offered 2027 three-star Littleton (Co.) Valor Christian wide receiver Jackson Coleman, a few weeks ago, things began to escalate quickly. In the blink of an eye, head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish were the assumed leaders. If Notre Dame chose to push for Coleman, it became apparent that they were the team to beat.
The Colorado native decided to make his college decision on Monday and opted for the Fighting Irish over an impressive offer list. Notre Dame was able to land the talented pass catchers over Oregon, Cal, Northwestern, and Stanford. Being able to get this one done so quickly is extremely notable for the folks in South Bend.
Head coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks were the previous leaders for Coleman until Notre Dame entered the equation. Being able to pull the rug out from under the likes of Oregon is notable. Wide receivers coach Mike Brown clearly saw something he loved in Coleman, and it wouldn’t be shocking if he reminded him of one of his previous success stories while with the Cincinnati program – Alec Pierce.
Now that Coleman is on board, the attention turns to 2027 Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas star Julius Jones Jr., a legacy target with tremendous ability. Pennsylvania standout Cade Cooper is also a key name to know. It will be important for Brown, Freeman, and Co. to close effectively.
Jackson Coleman’s recruiting background
Coleman is considered to be a three-star player by each of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, he currently rates as the No. 822 overall player, the No. 102 wide receiver, and the No. 4 player from the state of Colorado in the 2027 recruiting class. Odds are that those rankings will begin to rise.
While his rankings might not be overly impressive, Coleman is putting together a fantastic offer list. Some of the top schools that have offered him so far include the Fighting Irish, Oregon, Michigan, Miami, Missouri, Colorado, Utah, Vanderbilt, Kansas State, Minnesota, Stanford, Cal, Northwestern, Oregon State, Washington State, Syracuse, and Purdue, among others.
After not making much of an impact as a sophomore, Coleman put together a tremendous junior season in 2025. In 13 games, the 6-3, 195-pound pass catcher managed to haul in 45 receptions for 975 yards and nine touchdowns, an average of 21.7 yards per reception. His combination of size, length, and long speed brings a lot of intrigue to the table.