Notre Dame Football Recruiting Questions Deserve Answers, and Fans Are Tired of Waiting in the Dark for Real Conversations
There’s no polite way to say this anymore: Notre Dame fans are tired. Tired of the silence. Tired of the vague optimism. Tired of the seemingly recycled recruiting pitches that never quite result in the haul expected of a blue-blood program. As the Irish continue to navigate a shifting college football landscape that is now ruled by NIL, transfer portals, and ever-shifting conference powers, one thing remains constant — the confusion, frustration, and passion of fans who want answers. Not slogans. Not hype videos. Not tweets about visits that don’t pan out. Actual, grounded, straight-shooting answers.
Let’s stop pretending things are perfect. Because they’re not. Yes, Notre Dame recruits at a national level. Yes, there are elite players seriously considering South Bend. And yes, Marcus Freeman has injected energy and relatability into a program that badly needed it. But there is also a gap — a glaring, widening gap — between expectations and results. And no, it’s not about simply landing every five-star prospect. It’s about landing the right ones, the game-changers, the future pros, and doing so consistently. It’s about not losing battles to teams that were once below Notre Dame’s tier. It’s about being honest with where this program stands in the ever-evolving pecking order of college football.
Let’s talk about the classes. The 2023 class was solid. Not elite, but solid. The 2024 class had its bright spots, but also featured painful losses, particularly along the defensive line and wide receiver corps — positions where Notre Dame has struggled for years to get elite, difference-making talent. The 2025 cycle, so far, feels like more of the same. A top-10 finish is in the cards, but how much of that ranking is volume and positional balance versus true star power?
Where are the elite wideouts? Where is the five-star quarterback domino that signals a real shift in recruiting momentum? Why is Notre Dame still seemingly playing catch-up with SEC powers and even some Big Ten rivals when it comes to securing game-changing athleticism on the perimeter?
And then there’s the NIL elephant in the room. No one wants to say it out loud, but it’s obvious. Notre Dame’s stance on NIL — while rooted in some admirable academic and ethical principles — has been a limiting factor. High-level recruits want to know they’ll be compensated in a fair, structured way. They want to feel that the program is not just competitive on Saturdays, but in the modern economics of college football. And right now, whether it’s perception or reality, Notre Dame feels behind.
Yes, Irish players are benefiting from NIL opportunities. Yes, there are collectives working to support the athletes. But compared to the aggressive, up-front deals being presented at places like Georgia, Texas A&M, Oregon, or even Miami, Notre Dame’s approach feels safe. Restrained. Controlled. And that’s simply not enough to win high-stakes recruiting battles anymore. Fans know it. Recruits know it. And frankly, it’s time for the university and athletic department to stop pretending like it can out-principle the new system into submission.
And while we’re talking about honesty, let’s also look inward. Some of the issues aren’t just about money or competition — they’re about approach. Too often, Notre Dame fans have seen top targets commit elsewhere after being “all in” on South Bend for months. Why? Relationships breaking down late? Unwillingness to push hard enough at the end? Reluctance to adapt the message to individual recruits? Something is off.
The Irish staff has undoubtedly built a reputation for professionalism and discipline, but there are moments when the lack of flexibility and doggedness becomes a flaw. Recruiting is about relationships, yes, but it’s also about timing, pressure, and closing. Too many times, Notre Dame has been in the top three but finished third. That’s not bad luck. That’s a structural issue.
Marcus Freeman came into this role with energy, charisma, and the promise of elevating recruiting to levels Brian Kelly never quite reached. To his credit, there has been real progress in some areas — particularly linebacker and offensive line. But in critical spots like quarterback, defensive end, and receiver, the Irish are still swinging and missing far too often. The portal, meanwhile, has become a necessary supplement, which only underscores the gaps in high school recruiting. And if Notre Dame wants to contend for national titles, patchwork fixes won’t cut it.
Recruiting is the lifeblood of college football, and Notre Dame fans have every right to demand more clarity, more urgency, and more results. The tradition, the education, the campus — all of that still matters. But it’s not enough anymore. This isn’t 2005. It’s not even 2015. It’s 2025 football, and it moves at the speed of influence, attention, and opportunity. Notre Dame needs to find a way to honor its principles without being paralyzed by them.
Where is the consistent elite-level quarterback play in recruiting? Sure, the Irish landed CJ Carr, a high-ceiling prospect, but it feels like the team’s approach to quarterback recruiting always involves a Plan B fallback. Why hasn’t Notre Dame landed the big-name, five-star signal caller with both national buzz and NFL upside? It’s not for lack of trying, but trying isn’t enough anymore.
And what about receivers? This position group has been the most frustrating to watch. Every cycle features a handful of targets that look promising, only for the Irish to end up with plan C options who rarely develop into elite threats. The 2023 season showed flashes of improvement, but to contend with the nation’s best, Notre Dame needs more than flashes — it needs fireworks.
This isn’t about negativity or panic. It’s about reality. Notre Dame has one of the largest and most loyal fan bases in college football. These fans travel. They donate. They show up every Saturday. And they deserve transparency. They deserve to know where things stand. To have realistic timelines. To understand why top targets choose elsewhere, and what is being done to fix it.
Instead, what they often get is silence — or worse, spin. A social media post hyping up a visit. A quote about “focusing on the right fit.” A vague reference to “process.” Fans see through it. They’ve been watching this program fall just short for too long not to recognize the signs. The talent gap between Notre Dame and the truly elite programs — Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State — is real. It’s not insurmountable, but it won’t close on tradition alone.
Fans aren’t asking for perfection. They’re asking for truth. They’re asking for evolution. They’re asking for a Notre Dame that still holds its values, but adapts to win. Because winning, ultimately, is what will sustain the program’s relevance in the new era.
There is hope. There always is. The 2025 class could still add key pieces. The 2026 cycle is already underway with a few promising developments. And Marcus Freeman’s charisma and relatability remain powerful tools. But goodwill doesn’t last forever. Sooner or later, Notre Dame has to turn “almost” into “done deal.” It has to turn top-three finishes into commitments. It has to treat every cycle like a referendum — because in the eyes of fans, it already is.
And those fans? They’re ready to talk. Ready to listen. Ready to engage with the real issues. But they’re tired of waiting. Tired of being fed half-truths and soft answers. They want Notre Dame to win big on Saturdays — and on the recruiting trail. And they’re not afraid to demand it anymore.
Because if Notre Dame football is going to write the next great chapter in its storied legacy, it won’t be with what it used to be. It will be with what it’s willing to become.
