Notre Dame football wide receiver recruiting has trended upward over the last couple of cycles, and the 2028 recruiting class will be a critical one for head coach Marcus Freeman and wide receivers coach Mike Brown.

The Fighting Irish are in a good early spot with several top pass catchers on the board, but closing will be the name of the game. There are a couple of elite targets where Notre Dame appears to hold an early lead, but the program will need to remain consistent to put together a potentially elite 2028 wide receiver haul.

Here are some early names to know, background on their recruitment, and how important each could be for the Fighting Irish.

Jaylen Addai leads the board

There might not be a more important early target than Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek star Jaylen Addai. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound wide receiver is rated as the No. 8 overall player in the class according to the newest 247 Sports recruiting update. If the last name sounds familiar, he is the son of former LSU Tiger and Indianapolis Colts first-round running back Joseph Addai. The Tigers will obviously be in this one for the long haul.

If his rankings don’t indicate it, yes, Addai does have an elite-level offer list. This one is not going to be easy for Notre Dame by any stretch. However, the Fighting Irish have certainly intrigued Addai early, and he has already made a visit to South Bend. Freeman has prioritized the genetics aspect of recruits and the upside they bring to the table. Notre Dame has done a really good job with the sons of former NFL players, and Addai fits everything they want from a recruiting perspective.

I expect them to continue to push hard for him.

Lorenzo McMullen Jr. is a smooth fit

Another talented receiver who came in at No. 47 overall in that aforementioned 247 Sports recruiting update is Lorenzo McMullen Jr. out of Cincinnati (Ohio) Princeton High School. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound pass catcher is another player Notre Dame has done a really good job with early on, and I feel they are in a really good spot as things currently stand.

McMullen is a longer receiver with a smoothness to him that allows him to get open at all levels of the field. He would be a great addition for Notre Dame if they are able to push the right buttons.

Local talents to watch

I would keep a close eye on a couple of local talents. Perhaps the biggest one for me is Fort Wayne (Ind.) Northrop wide receiver Maddox Weil. The 5-foot-10, 160-pounder is a smaller receiver, but he has the ability to create a bunch of chunk plays and is really gifted in space. Notre Dame has done a great job so far with Weil.

I’m not sure that Notre Dame is pushing hard yet for Chicago (Ill.) Mount Carmel wide receiver Marshaun Thornton. He’s another guy I would keep a close eye on depending on how he develops during his junior year. At 6-2 and 180 pounds, he has a longer frame, and there’s a lot of intrigue with how he continues to develop physically. There’s certainly some untapped talent to get excited about there.

Dedrick Kimbrough brings coveted size

There are a series of other talented receivers who have been offered in this class, and the priority of the board will change at some point.

For now, one guy to keep a sharp eye on is Alabaster (Al.) Thompson pass catcher Dedrick Kimbrough. The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder is rated as a four-star and the No. 228 overall player on the 247 Sports ranking. He’s a very interesting player who brings a ton of size on the outside, something Notre Dame needs to continue to accumulate more of. He’s one of the few guys on the offer sheet right now with that God-given size.

This board will shift over the next several months depending on how things fall with some of their top recruits and how other guys trend upward. For now, that is an early snapshot of the talented wide receivers to keep a close eye on for Notre Dame’s 2028 recruiting class.