Notre Dame football took care of business against the Stanford Cardinal at Notre Dame Stadium this past weekend. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish rolled to a 58-7 victory, moving to 6-0 and climbing to No. 2 in the latest AP poll. The on-field success also produced plenty of Notre Dame recruiting buzz coming out of the weekend.

The biggest recruiting weekend of the year is still a few weeks away, when the Miami Hurricanes visit South Bend. Even so, this one featured several important 2028 recruiting targets, along with a couple of early 2029 names to know.

Over the last 24 hours or so, I’ve talked to as many people and sources as possible to put together some initial intel. Not everybody is included, but here is where things stand with some of the biggest names who were on campus.

Notre Dame’s 2028 tight end targets

Let’s start with Elmhurst (Ill.) Immaculate Conception tight end Grant Bowen, one of my favorite players in the entire 2028 class. He has become a top target for offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, who oversees the tight end position along with Harris Biven.

As I’ve noted in the past, some schools view Bowen as a linebacker, while others see him as a defensive end. Notre Dame likes him on offense. At 6-4, 220 pounds, he is an impressive athlete who averaged well over 20 yards per catch as a sophomore in 2025.

Bowen’s father, Matt, starred at defensive back for the Iowa Hawkeyes before going on to an NFL career. That keeps Iowa in the conversation. However, this is a national recruit drawing interest from some of the top programs in the country as a potential top-50 player in the 2028 class.

From what I have gathered, Notre Dame is doing an exceptional job with Bowen, who is open to playing on either side of the ball. The program’s tradition at tight end stands out, and the fit as both a student and an athlete appeals to the Bowen family. I don’t have any certainty on a decision timeline.

Still, the Irish should be in a good spot for the long haul.

The great news for Notre Dame is that it isn’t Bowen or nothing at the position. The staff also hosted Hartland (Wisc.) Arrowhead tight end Tre Oiler and Zionsville (Ind.) High School tight end Theo Schott.

If the Schott name rings a bell, his older brother, Brock, was a name of interest for Notre Dame a couple of cycles ago. The Irish never offered or pushed for him. Theo is a different story, and Notre Dame has taken a strong liking to him early in the process.

Olier is a taller, higher-upside developmental play. He thinks highly of Notre Dame, so much so that I would have called the Irish the leader even before his trip to South Bend. Out of those three tight ends, I think Notre Dame has a good chance to land at least one (most confident with Oiler currently), perhaps two.

The vibes are extremely high coming out of this visit.

Keep an eye on Mount Vernon (Ohio) High School tight end Landon Dawson as well. He doesn’t hold a Notre Dame offer, but from the conversations I’ve had, his trip went extremely well.

Local trench targets on campus

Notre Dame also hosted several top local 2028 targets. Perhaps the most intriguing is Aurora (Ill.) Waubonsie Valley offensive tackle Kajus Muralis.

Even before some viewed Muralis as a four-star, Notre Dame was all over him.

I’ve felt good about this one for quite some time, and nothing changed this weekend. If there’s one visitor I feel best about right now, it is Muralis. The 6-7, 265-pound tackle is exactly the type of recruit offensive line coach Joe Rudolph loves, with a ton of length, good athleticism, and plenty of developmental upside.

Chicago (Ill.) Mount Carmel defensive lineman Caleb Tucker, better known as “Bone Crusher,” also made the trip. At 6-5, 350 pounds, he’s a massive nose tackle who has been on Notre Dame’s radar for a couple of years.

I’m told everything went well, and I believe Tucker likes Notre Dame. I still question whether the fit makes sense when a decision arrives. There are some Brauntae Johnson vibes to this recruitment, though, so Tucker could become an absolute priority. I’m in wait-and-see mode.

New Palestine (Ind.) High School defensive lineman Sam Hirschy is another name to watch. At 6-4, 258 pounds, he’s undersized but has a high ceiling athletically. The Irish haven’t offered yet, but with how well defensive line coach Charlie Partridge is recruiting, there’s clearly interest. It sounded like things went well.

New Lenox (Ill.) Providence Catholic offensive lineman Ben Coleman holds a Notre Dame offer, and communication has been consistent. At 6-4, 280 pounds, he could project best inside at guard. I’m waiting to see how the offensive line board shakes out, since the staff is extremely high on a couple of other names.

Other Notre Dame recruiting notes

The timing was perfect for Carrollton (Ga.) Central running back Jacez Walton to visit. His older brother, Jonaz Walton, ran for 181 yards on 13 carries, including a 97-yard touchdown run that was one of his two scores. The younger Walton is a 5-11, 220-pound back without an offer, but Notre Dame would be in a good spot instantly if it pushed.

At this point, the Irish are just in a good spot with several other running backs. It could end up being a numbers game.

Gainesville (Ga.) High School cornerback Ja’lil Goley, a top-50 player in the 2028 class, was a guy I watched closely. I’m told things connected well with Goley and his family, and Notre Dame appears to be in a better position than I originally anticipated.

Lakeland (Fla.) High School cornerback Dominik Harris-Payne also visited. It sounds like the trip went well, but I still get the feeling that Florida holds the lead.

On the 2029 side, Grafton (Wisc.) High School tight end Hank Doyle and Detroit (Mich.) Brother Rice cornerback Kameron Lowe were on campus. Both rank as top-100 players early on. There isn’t much feedback yet, but getting them to South Bend this early is a big deal.