Notre Dame football and HC Marcus Freeman move one step closer to luring a top-100 recruiting target away from an SEC power
Notre Dame is a program to know for a former Texas Longhorn commit.
Notre Dame football is recruiting at an extremely high level under head coach Marcus Freeman. With the Fighting Irish having success on the field and Freeman running such a consistent program, it has become an attractive option for recruits from all over the country, and a wider net has seemingly been cast.
For the first time in a while, it feels like the Notre Dame staff and program aren’t shying away from a difficult recruiting battle. 2027 Tustin (Calif.) High School EDGE Taven Epps is a perfect example of a player I’m not sure the previous staff would have pursued heavily. The talented defender committed to the Texas Longhorns in April, but that hasn’t stopped the Irish from continuing to recruit him hard.
Epps made his first trip to South Bend a couple of weeks ago for Notre Dame’s battle against the rival USC Trojans. By all reports, that visit went well, and things continued to trend positively with Epps.
This recruitment took an interesting step over the weekend when Epps opted to decommit from the Longhorns and reopen his recruitment.
With the timing of this decision coming shortly after the trip to Notre Dame, it feels like it could be positive for the Irish. They will be a major player for Epps in the end, but will need to be ready to battle. If Freeman and his staff can finish this one out, it would be yet another monumental victory on the trail.
Grabbing a top-100 defender from the state of California who was committed to a power like Texas is noteworthy.
Taven Epps’ recruiting background
Epps is considered to be a top-100 recruit on the 247 Sports Composite ranking, currently pegged as the No. 100 overall player, No. 7 linebacker, and No. 11 player from the state of California in the 2027 recruiting class. The individual 247 Sports ranking is even higher on Epps, rating him as the No. 78 overall player and No. 5 linebacker in the class.
At 6-4 and 220 pounds, Epps has an outstanding frame to eventually develop into a full-time defensive end. As a sophomore, Epps recorded 38 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, and seven sacks in 10 games for Tustin. Epps also recorded another 11 quarterback hurries, one interception, six pass breakups, and blocked a punt.
Epps has been even better as a junior. In 11 games, he has recorded 60 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, and 12 quarterback hurries. The California native has also managed to break up eight passes as well.
Even before Epps committed to the Longhorns, a long list of impressive suitors had continued to pursue him. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Texas, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan, Oregon, Tennessee, Oklahoma, USC, Texas A&M, Miami, Penn State, Nebraska, Missouri, Washington, Utah, TCU, SMU, Arizona State, Michigan State, UNC, Colorado, Maryland, Boston College, Arizona, Kansas, and Cal, among others.
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Notre Dame has to battle against an extremely unique recruiting pitch.
