With the hot streak that Notre Dame recruiting has been on recently, the 2026 recruiting class is quickly becoming finalized. There are very few targets remaining on the board, and this finish will determine whether this ends as an elite group, or potentially a historic one. It’s hard not to be extremely excited for what head coach Marcus Freeman and this Fighting Irish staff are accomplishing. 

Over the next few weeks, Notre Dame is expecting a near flawless ending to the class. In the wonderful world of recruiting, it is nearly impossible to bat .1000, so there is still some work to be done for the staff. After talking to as many solid sources as I could over the last couple of days, here is where things currently stand heading down the stretch. 

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PASS CATCHING TARGETS 

In my most recent update last weekend, I spoke about where things stand with priority Aldeo (Texas) High School wide receiver Kaydon Finley. Notre Dame has been in a great spot with the Lone Star pass catcher, especially after his official visit a couple of weekends ago. As a Texas legacy, his official visit down to Austin was the one thing holding back full optimism.

Coming out of that trip, I liked even more where the Fighting Irish stood with Finley. They are the front runner for him when Finley picks between Notre Dame, the Longhorns, and Texas A&M on July 4th. It would be a monumental victory for Mike Brown if they are able to close. 

I expect more good news the very next day with Phoenix (Ariz.) Brophy Prep standout Devin Fitzgerald, the son of former NFL legend Larry Fitzgerald. Notre Dame was always going to be a top contender for the 6-2, 185-pound wideout if they pushed hard for him. They are, and are now in pole position to beat out Clemson and Stanford on July 5th. 

The last wide receiver domino to fall is Red Oak (Texas) High School star Brayden Robinson, who recently moved his commitment date up from July 20th to the 6th. That means that Fighting Irish fans could be getting some very good news for three straight days. As of right now, I expect that to be the case. 

While he’s only 5-8 and 160 pounds right now, Robinson is the type of space dynamo that Notre Dame needs more of. Robinson will be selecting between the Irish, Miami, and Arizona. I feel good about where this one currently stands as well. 

At tight end, things are in a very interesting spot going down the stretch. The program received a commitment from Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic standout Preston Fryzel over Miami and Iowa recently, and I love that pickup. That is a tremendous start for what will most likely be a two-man tight end class.

The other most likely name to know right now is Waukee (Iowa) High School star tight end Evan Jacobson. Notre Dame has been in a good spot with the 6-7, 225-pounder for some time now. The biggest question was when a decision would be made, and that clarity is still needed. 

I do still really like where the Irish are with Jacobson, but until he makes a decision for a decision timeline, they are in a bit of limbo. If that decision is made anytime soon, I like the Irish. 

The most talented option that remains on the board is Great Bend (Kansas) High School superstar Ian Premer. The program is battling the likes of Kansas State and Iowa State, and there seems to be a bit of internal struggle about whether Premer wants to stay close to home. There is still some optimism for Notre Dame to potentially close, but I don’t share it currently. I would love Notre Dame to close on Premer, but I just don’t see it happening. 

It’s almost unbelievable to think about, but of the remaining six top targets left on the board, this is really the only one I don’t feel great about. Not good, great, which speaks to the recruiting impact this staff has been making. 

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REMAINING DEFENSIVE TARGETS 

There really are only two targets left on the defensive board for Notre Dame. Those are Sarasota (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney defensive lineman Elijah Golden and Charlotte (N.C.) safety Nick Reddish. It’s a small board, but an important one. 

If I could actually begin with Reddish, he is set to make his college decision on July 11th. He is set to decide between the Fighting Irish, Wisconsin, UNC, Virginia Tech, and Indiana. Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, however, are viewed as the top two teams. The program has been high on Reddish for some time now, and he is viewed as the potential last missing piece for an elite secondary class. 

For Golden, there has not been a commitment date decided yet. As of today, I do really like where Notre Dame is. They have been battling against Alabama, so closing down the stretch is going to be important. The Crimson Tide aren’t just going to go away. 

Notre Dame having the last official visit with Golden was huge for me, and they are also a school that has been on him for a very long time. Those relationships feel like they are going to go a long way. A dynamic three technique is the last missing piece of the puzzle for the Irish defensive line class, and that is where Golden would fit perfectly. 

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