Notre Dame’s latest offer is going to make NFL fans feel very old; Marcus Freeman continues to target the sons of former NFL standouts
Notre Dame football has a strong trend of recruiting the sons of former NFL stars. That looks to continue in the 203o class.
Notre Dame has made a habit of recruiting the sons of former NFL stars, but the latest name to enter the conversation is one that should make football fans feel a little old.
The Fighting Irish have extended an offer to Cecil Shorts IV, a 2030 recruit out of Houston Christian High School in Texas. He is the son of former NFL wide receiver Cecil Shorts III, who spent several seasons in the league after being selected in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
The offer is another example of a recruiting trend that has become increasingly noticeable under head coach Marcus Freeman. Notre Dame continues to pursue the next generation of football families, and the Shorts name is the latest addition to that conversation.
Cecil Shorts III had an NFL career worth remembering
If you’re going to recruit a player with a recognizable football family background, Cecil Shorts III is a pretty good name to have attached to your program.
Shorts played college football at Mount Union, a Division III powerhouse, before the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He eventually became one of the more productive receivers on a Jacksonville offense that didn’t exactly have an abundance of weapons during his time there.
His 2012 season was particularly impressive. Shorts caught 55 passes for 979 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 17.8 yards per reception. He followed that up with 777 receiving yards in 2013 and finished his NFL career with 229 receptions, 2,979 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.
Shorts never became one of the NFL’s biggest household names, but he put together a legitimate professional career after coming from a small college program. That’s a pretty good example for his son to have at home.
Now, his son has an opportunity to explore what Notre Dame has to offer while beginning his own recruiting journey in the 2030 class.
Marcus Freeman has a growing collection of NFL legacies
The Shorts offer isn’t happening in a vacuum. Notre Dame has developed a clear connection with families that have already experienced the highest level of football.
The list of NFL connections associated with the Fighting Irish includes some recognizable names:
Jerome Bettis Jr. — The son of Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis, who won a Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Devin Fitzgerald — The son of Larry Fitzgerald, one of the greatest wide receivers of his generation.
Kaydon Finley — The son of former Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley.
Elijah Burress — The son of former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress, a Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants.
Bryce Young — The son of former Notre Dame defensive lineman and NFL standout Bryant Young.
Thomas Davis Jr. — The son of longtime Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis Sr.
James Flanigan — The son of former Notre Dame and NFL defensive lineman Jim Flanigan.
Freeman has also pursued other prominent football legacies, including 2028 wide receiver target Jaylen Addai, the son of former Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai.
At some point, you have to wonder whether Freeman has a separate recruiting board dedicated to sons of former NFL players.
Obviously, Notre Dame isn’t handing out offers simply because a recruit’s father played on Sundays. The players still need to show the potential to play at the next level. But the frequency with which these families show up on Notre Dame’s recruiting radar is hard to ignore.
Why Notre Dame keeps attracting these families
There’s a reason this relationship continues to make sense.
Notre Dame can sell an elite football experience while offering an academic reputation and an alumni network that extend well beyond the sport. For parents who spent years navigating the NFL, the opportunity to give their children a strong foundation outside football can be just as important as what happens between the lines.
Freeman also understands the value of building relationships with families who know exactly what it takes to reach professional football. Those connections can help Notre Dame stand out when a recruit begins weighing his options.
And with the 2030 class, there is plenty of time for those relationships to develop. Shorts is still early in his high school career at Houston Christian, so the offer represents the beginning of a recruiting process rather than a decision that is coming anytime soon.
The Cecil Shorts IV offer is another reminder of Freeman’s approach
The absurd part of this story isn’t that Notre Dame offered the son of a former NFL player. It’s that Freeman has built up such a collection of football family connections that another offer like this barely feels surprising anymore.
Shorts III carved out a productive NFL career after playing at Mount Union. Now, Cecil Shorts IV, a 2030 recruit from Houston Christian High School in Texas, has an opportunity to make his own name in the sport.
Notre Dame has made its move early. Whether Shorts eventually becomes a serious contender to play for the Irish remains to be seen, but the offer fits a familiar pattern under Freeman.
The next generation of football talent is already on his radar, and apparently, no NFL family tree is too far removed for Notre Dame to take a closer look.
