Notre Dame football is predicted to land a 4-star recruiting target after tremendous visitor weekend against Stanford
Notre Dame football hosted several top recruits during its blowout of Stanford. How close are the Irish to adding another piece to the 2028 class?
Head coach Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame football had no problem dismantling Stanford last weekend, rolling to a 58-7 victory over Tavita Pritchard’s squad.
It wasn’t the toughest opponent on the schedule, and the Fighting Irish have dominated the Stanford series for several years now. Still, the game gave Freeman and the Irish staff a big opportunity to bring several top recruits to campus.
A talented group of 2028 and 2029 recruits made the trip to South Bend. One of the more notable names was 2028 New Lenox (Ill.) Providence Catholic offensive lineman Ben Coleman, a four-star prospect who plays right in Notre Dame’s backyard.
What the Notre Dame visit revealed
I wasn’t entirely sure where things stood between Notre Dame and Coleman going into the visit. Offensive line coach Joe Rudolph already has the Irish in good position with several talented 2028 offensive linemen. Because of that, seeing how things went with a player like Coleman was going to be a big data point.
It appears that things are in a great spot coming out of the visit.
Notre Dame has built plenty of momentum with the Illinois native. Steve Wiltfong, vice president of recruiting for Rivals, has logged an expert prediction for Coleman to land with the Notre Dame 2028 recruiting class. That would be a nice early win for a class that is slowly shaping up to be another excellent one under Freeman.
Any time an expert prediction goes in, it is a strong sign for where a recruitment stands. If Coleman were to make his call soon, I get the feeling that Notre Dame would have a great chance to land him.
Coleman, however, has not put out an exact timeline for his decision. Even so, things seem to be escalating quickly.
Ben Coleman’s recruiting background
Coleman is listed at 6-4, 285 pounds. On the 247Sports Composite ranking, he currently rates as a four-star, the No. 364 overall player, the No. 36 offensive tackle, and the No. 15 player from the state of Illinois in the 2028 recruiting class.
He has drawn interest from some quality programs so far. Some of the top schools that have offered Coleman include the Fighting Irish, Oregon, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin, and Northwestern, among others.
Coleman isn’t the biggest offensive lineman, but he brings good overall movement skills to the table. He also has a frame that should allow him to add a substantial amount of weight down the road.
That size limitation might eventually push him inside. He currently plays offensive tackle and is rated at that position. Still, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him slide to guard or center if he ends up in South Bend. That kind of versatility is valuable for an offensive line room, especially early in a recruiting cycle.
Notre Dame’s 2028 recruiting class
Notre Dame currently holds three commitments in the 2028 recruiting class. That includes elite Bolingbrook (Ill.) defensive end Darieon Prescott, St. Thomas Aquinas safety Andre Jones, and Brentwood Academy kicker Owen Davies.
Prescott is already a major in-state win for the Irish. Adding Coleman would give Freeman and Co. another quality piece from Illinois, which has been a productive area for the staff.
Will Coleman be the next name added to that list? There is certainly confidence that he could be, and the Wiltfong prediction only adds to that.
Only time will tell, but things are in a great spot for Notre Dame coming out of the Stanford visit. It is a recruitment worth keeping a close eye on over the coming weeks.
