Notre Dame hosted its biggest recruiting weekend of the season (and arguably the biggest of the Marcus Freeman era) last week when Florida State came to town. Going into the highly anticipated matchup (albeit in name only), the expectation was that the Fighting Irish would welcome their remaining seven 2025 targets. All seven of these candidates reached campus.

The soldiers who attended the meeting were:

To make the weekend even more meaningful, Notre Dame hosted several successful prospects from the 2026 class, as well as more than a dozen 2025 commitments.

FSU to Name Class of 2025 Over the Weekend

How Notre Dame ends up with seven 2025 recruits on campus will play a pivotal role in defining the class as a whole. While fulfilling all seven commitments is not a realistic expectation, less than three commitments will be considered a disappointment. If the Irish can secure roughly half of those hires, that would be a solid result that would make the staff feel great. But if Notre Dame somehow lands five or more prospects, it would represent an elite finish to the recruiting cycle.

The good news is already starting to spread. On Monday night, Nolan James Jr. switched his commitment from Boston College to Notre Dame. If you believe there’s momentum in the recruiting world, it’s worth noting that the Irish also received a big commitment on Tuesday night. From 2026 four-star linebacker Thomas Davis. Jr.

The Notre Dame coaching staff hopes to continue this momentum in the coming weeks as the Early Signing Period quickly approaches.

Summary of Remaining 2025 Goals

One of the remaining dominoes has already fallen with the commitment of James Jr., giving Notre Dame the opportunity for a second-in-class running back to pair with Justin Thurman. James visited South Bend as a Boston College commit and quickly returned. Many of the other targets are now tied to other programs as well, some of which are tied to major powers, and reversing them would be a huge deal for the Irish.

Derek Meadows was a long-time target for Notre Dame. The Irish were also in the mix when he committed to Brian Kelly and LSU in July, likely finishing second in the race. Fast forward to today, Meadows is now heavily considering a change of heart, and Notre Dame is emerging as a serious contender for his commitment.

Andrew Olesh has been practicing at Michigan since the summer but has visited Penn State, Oregon and Notre Dame in recent weeks. Olesh is a dynamic quarterback capable of adding a new element to the Notre Dame offense. The coaching staff is aiming high and taking down Olesh would be a big win for the program.

Jalen Wiggins has long been a quiet but consistent Notre Dame target. The four-star Florida defensive line commit is finally headed to South Bend for an official visit after months of rumors. While the Ireland 2025 defensive line class doesn’t yet have the star power fans might hope for, Wiggins would immediately elevate the group and give it the boost it needs.

The last member to visit elsewhere is newly proposed target Antwaun Parham. It remains to be seen whether Notre Dame will acquire both Meadows and Parham to round out its wide receiver class, but Parham, currently committed to Tulane, is an underrated prospect who only started playing football a few years ago. While it may take a year or two to develop, Parham has the size and athleticism the Irish lack going forward.

Finally, two elite defenders who have been heavily talked about since the start of the 2025 season, Madden Faraimo and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, were also on campus. Both are long-term goals and achieving either would be a huge win for staff, but ideally they secure both.

Personally, I’m waiting for Faraimo to land at Notre Dame. Owusu-Boateng, however, seems to have jumped on the trend elsewhere.

Notre Dame’s Path to Hosting College Football Playoff Game Becomes Clearer

Notre Dame Updates Depth Chart Following Serious Injury in Virginia Game

More Night Games at Notre Dame Stadium? Marcus Freeman Hopes So

Key Takeaways as Notre Dame Destroys Florida State

Notre Dame Reappears in Joel Klatt’s Top 10 College Football Rankings