Notre Dame and HC Marcus Freeman predicted to miss out on a Fighting Irish legacy who is bordering on five-star status
Notre Dame football legacy may be looking elsewhere after some early Fighting Irish momentum.
Over the last few years, head coach Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame football have done a tremendous job closing on Fighting Irish legacy players, as well as the sons of former NFL players.
That includes tight end James Flanigan, defensive end Bryce Young, and wide receivers Jerome Bettis Jr., Devin Fitzgerald, and Elijah Burress, among others. Betting on the strong DNA feels like a sound strategy for the program.
In the 2027 recruiting class, there was another legacy to know with elite Danville (Ky.) Boyle County tight end Seneca Driver. His uncle, Tony Driver, was a running back and defensive back for Notre Dame from 1997 to 2000. With those family ties, it was assumed that the Irish would be the team to beat for the Kentucky native. Vibes were high early, but things have cooled off a bit in recent weeks.
Notre Dame starting to fade with Driver seems to be due to the surge from the Kentucky Wildcats and new head coach Will Stein. Steve Wiltfong of Rivals logged an expert prediction that Driver will eventually end up with the Wildcats. While it doesn’t sound like a commitment is imminent, it would be a bit of a blow for the Fighting Irish.
The Irish staff is in a good place with several other talented tight ends like North Carolina star Jaxon Dollar, so Notre Dame fading with Driver isn’t the end of the world.
He is, however, an extremely talented player with elite upside. It will be interesting to see if Freeman and Co. can make a move to get back to the top of the leaderboard.
Seneca Driver’s recruiting background
Driver is considered a four-star player by all major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Driver is pegged as the No. 78 overall player, the No. 5 tight end, and the No. 1 player in the state of Kentucky for the 2027 recruiting class. The talented pass catcher is ranked as the No. 25 overall player on the Rivals ranking.
Just like his recruiting rankings, Driver’s offer list is elite. Some of the top programs who have offered the Kentucky native so far include the Fighting Irish, Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Florida, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Miami, Indiana, Auburn, Missouri, Nebraska, Kentucky, Louisville, Arkansas, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Michigan State, UCLA, Wisconsin, UNC, Maryland, Cincinnati, Duke, and Purdue, among others.
As a junior, Driver put together an outstanding season for Boyle County. The 6-6, 235-pound tight end hauled in 49 receptions for 875 yards and 11 touchdowns, an average of 17.9 yards per reception. Driver also added another three scores on the ground, while recording 67 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, five interceptions, and three sacks on defense. He is a talented athlete with all the upside in the world.
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