Notre Dame football just added an intriguing name to its recruiting board to help solidify an elite secondary haul
Notre Dame football is eyeing another elite secondary in the 2027 recruiting class. The latest offers bring intrigue for the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame football has a strong chance to solidify another elite secondary for the 2027 recruiting class. Head coach Marcus Freeman and secondary coach Aaron Henry already hold commitments from Xavier Hasan, Ace Alston, John Gay III, and Zayden Gamble. That would be an outstanding four-man group if that’s how things ended.
The Fighting Irish do, however, have their eyes set on a couple of other talented defensive backs. That includes adding an intriguing offer to the board this weekend in St. Louis (Mo.) Ladue Horton Watkins cornerback Evan Via. The St. Louis native has already taken or scheduled official visits to Missouri, Stanford, and Wisconsin.
The timing of this offer is extremely interesting, and there’s no telling just what it means for Notre Dame. There is clearly some intrigue in Via, but the next several days will speak volumes for what the chances are for the Fighting Irish. Getting the talented cover man to South Bend will be extremely important.
Notre Dame had shown some interest in former Indiana commit Monsanna Torbert Jr., but he decided to cancel his official visit with the Irish. Via brings some similar attributes that Torbert brought to the table, including fluidity and the potential to play multiple spots in the secondary. He’s worth keeping a close eye on moving forward.
Evan Via’s recruiting background
Via is ranked as a four-star player by Rivals, while 247 Sports ranks him as a three-star, and ESPN hasn’t even rated him yet. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Via is currently pegged as a four-star, the No. 233 overall player, the No. 28 cornerback, and the No. 4 player from the state of Missouri for the 2027 recruiting class.
While Via’s recruiting rankings are all over the place, he has seen his offer list continue to fill up this offseason. Some of the top programs to offer him so far include the Fighting Irish, Auburn, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Missouri, Kentucky, Michigan State, Arizona State, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Stanford, Kansas State, Minnesota, Virginia, Northwestern, West Virginia, Kansas, Duke, Purdue, Rutgers, and Cincinnati, among several others.
At 5-11 and 175 pounds, Via is an outstanding athlete who has been a difference maker on offense, defense, and special teams for Ladue Horton Watkins. His combination of explosiveness, quickness, and ball skills has led to a lot of big plays this past season. On defense, Via projects favorably as a versatile cover man who could potentially create a big impact in the slot.