Notre Dame’s newest recruiting target just made a college decision days after being offered by the Fighting Irish
Where does Notre Dame football stand with its newest recruiting offer? We all just got our answer to that question on Tuesday.
Notre Dame football made an interesting offer over the weekend to 2027 St. Louis (Mo.) Ladue Horton Watkins cornerback Evan Via. It was an offer that caught most off guard. Over the last couple of days, many have tried to understand just where head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish stood.
Those people got their answer on Tuesday when Via made his college decision. The talented cover man committed to Stanford, the program that he had just officially visited this past weekend. It’s a nice catch for the Cardinal, landing an intriguing defensive back with a ton of developmental potential.
For Notre Dame, it isn’t a major loss, but it does beg the question of why the offer was extended to begin with. The Irish currently hold commitments from Xavier Hasan and Ace Alston, which is a tremendous two-man cornerback class. There is, however, a want to take a third, and more specifically, someone who could potentially play nickel.
Keep a close eye on Karnell “Greedy” James, who is currently committed to Texas. While most designate him as a safety, James brings some intriguing versatility on the next level. James could conceivably play inside the slot, a big reason why the Irish staff likes him a lot.
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.