Notre Dame football is predicted to miss out on a dynamic defender in favor of a hated Fighting Irish rival
Several key 2027 recruiting targets remain on the board for Notre Dame. It appears that one is trending toward a hated rival.
Notre Dame football has been riding a lot of recruiting momentum this offseason. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish have several key targets remaining, making the next couple of months vitally important. That includes several elite defensive options on the board.
2027 LA Verne (Calif.) Damien safety Gavin Williams has been a player that Notre Dame has valued highly for a very long time. The Irish have been involved in a heated recruiting battle between Notre Dame and their hated rival, USC Trojans. With an official visit scheduled on June 19-21 in South Bend, there was a hope that Williams could be the last piece to solidify an elite secondary class.
Rivals recruiting analysts Greg Biggins and Steve Wiltfong provided an update on Williams, which included a remark that the talented defensive back might not even get to those official visits. Both Biggins and Wiltfong have logged expert predictions for Williams to land with the Trojans. That appears to be the growing sentiment around the industry currently.
With Notre Dame holding secondary commitments from Xavier Hasan, Ace Alston, Zayden Gamble, and John Gay III, they are in a great spot, even if they do miss out on Williams. It is, however, still a notable loss, especially if they lose him to head coach Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans.
Gavin Williams’ recruiting background
Williams is rated as a four-star player by every major recruiting platform. On the 247Sports Composite ranking, Williams currently ranks as the No. 159 overall player, No. 11 safety, and No. 14 player in the state of California for the 2027 recruiting class. That is a territory that has consistently churned out next-level talent, including for the Fighting Irish in the past. The 247 Sports individual ranking has him rated highest, currently pegged as the No. 86 overall player in the class.
A long list of impressive suitors has been pursuing Williams. Some of his top offers currently include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, Oregon, Tennessee, Michigan, Oklahoma, Miami, USC, Nebraska, Utah, Florida State, Auburn, Kentucky, Michigan State, Arkansas, BYU, SMU, Arizona State, UCLA, Arizona, Syracuse, West Virginia, Washington, Cal, Mississippi State, UNC, UCLA, and Oklahoma State among many others.
The 6-1, 180-pound defender has been a difference maker for Damien over the last two seasons. During that stretch, he has collected 85 total tackles, nine pass breakups, five pass breakups, five tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. His range and versatility are both fantastic and offer a ton of developmental upside.