Notre Dame football recruiting “grill & chill” event observations: Targets arrive on campus
High school football recruits nationwide arrived at Notre Dame on Sunday for the program’s “grill & chill” recruiting event. And Blue & Gold was on hand in front of the Guglielmo Athletics Complex to observe their entrances.
The Fighting Irish had an extensive day planned for the about 30 recruits expected on campus. The day’s highlight fractured a series of competitive games, like home run derby, dodgeball and “Irish ball,” a basketball-like game without dribbling that challenges teams to score in a can about 20 yards apart from each other.
Here’s what Blue & Gold saw when 20 recruits arrived at Notre Dame over 90 minutes Sunday morning.
Observing Notre Dame recruits arriving for Sunday’s “grill & chill” event
At 10:24 a.m. EDT, three-star offensive tackle Matty Augustine from Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick School is the first recruit to arrive on campus, according to Blue & Gold’s record. Augustine’s father accompanied him on the trip.
The 6-foot-7, 265-pounder looks every bit of his height. He’s coming off visits to Alabama and Florida this week, which concluded with scholarship offers from both schools. He also picked one up from Miami (Fla.) Augustine is the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 341 overall player, No. 24 offensive tackle and No. 2 prospect in Connecticut in 2025.
A minute later, four-star running back Justin Thurman from Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit shows up with his family. The good vibes flow as the 6-foot, 180-pound rising junior greets the Irish staff.
Notre Dame offered Thruman in the spring, and he came to campus for a camp last month. He’s the 260 overall player, No. 24 running back and No. 37 prospect in Florida, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
It’s 10:37 a.m., and it’s time for the first Notre Dame verbal commit to show up. Irish recruiting associate Caleb Davis dashes about 50 yards to greet four-star offensive tackle Styles Prescod and his family.
On3 lists the Fishers (Ind.) Hamilton Southeastern rising senior at 6-5 ½, 270 pounds. And it would not be surprising if he stood slightly taller and exceeded his weight. His “Catholics vs. Convicts” T-shirt received attention before he entered “the Gug.”
Prescod is the No. 316 overall player, No. 23 interior offensive lineman and No. 4 prospect in Indiana, per the On3 Industry Ranking.
One of Chicago’s finest, Elmhurst (Ill.) York Community High defensive lineman Joseph Reiff, comes onto the scene. Three guests accompanied him. The 2025 recruit earned his Notre Dame offer after camping in front of D-line coach Al Washington on June 20.
The 6-5, 230-pound Reiff does not yet hold an On3 or On3 Industry Ranking. However, one primary recruiting media service considers him a three-star recruit (88) rating, the No. 34 defensive lineman and No. 10 prospect in Illinois.
Right behind Reiff is Notre Dame legacy recruit, 2025 wide receiver Jereome Bettis Jr., who the staff immediately embraces. The Atlanta Woodward Academy product and his guest spend time catching up with the recruiting staff before his first Notre Dame visit since April commences.
The 6-3, 185-pound Bettis received compliments from the staff for bulking up over the summer. He is a three-star recruit and No. 399 overall player, No. 58 wide receiver and No. 40 prospect in Georgia, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
Right behind Bettis is another Irish legacy, 2025 safety Ethan Long, who is teammates with Augustine at Brunswick School. The 6-2, 185-pound Long is a cousin of former Irish wide receiver and captain Austin Webster.
Long has an advanced relationship with the Notre Dame staff. He spent time reconnecting with them before the visit began. While he does not yet have an On3 or On3 Industry Ranking rating, one primary recruiting media service considers Long a four-star recruit and the No. 22 safety and No. 1 prospect in Connecticut in the 2025 recruiting cycle.
Onto the scene comes Irish defensive line verbal commit Sean Sevillano, alongside recruiting associate Carter Auman. Sevillano is one of five Notre Dame pledges that arrive during the media’s viewing. 2024 wide receiver Cam Williams, safety Taebron Bennie-Powell and 2025 defensive lineman Davion Dixon also attended the event.
About 10 minutes pass until another Irish legacy arrives. This time, it’s 2025 four-star tight end/defensive lineman James Flanigan alongside his father, Jim Flanigan. Davis and director of recruiting Chad Bowden run down the Flanigans to express their excitement for their return.
Green Bay (Wisc.) Notre Dame De La Baie Academy’s Flanigan (6-6, 220 pounds) is the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 200 overall player, No. 7 tight end and No. 2 prospect in Indiana.
Shortly after that, another Chicagolander, 2025 four-star EDGE Gabe Kaminski of La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy makes it in with one guest. The 6-3, 215-pound Kaminski is the No. 309 overall player, No. 22 EDGE and No. 8 prospect in Illinois, per the On3 Industry Ranking.
Eventually, Windy City wide receiver Talyn Taylor shows up with two guests. The 6-1, 165-pound Taylor of Geneva (Ill.) Community School rising junior is visiting Notre Dame for the first time since March. The On3 Industry Ranking considers him the No. 68 overall player, No. 11 wide receiver and No. 2 prospect in Illinois.
Another Taylor, Ivan Taylor, who Blue & Gold does not believe is related to Talyn, reports to campus. The 2025 four-star safety from Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange, Ivan, received an offer from Notre Dame on June 4 after the program’s Irish Invasion camp.
The 5-foot-11, 163-pound Ivan is the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor. Ike ensured to tell reporters that he was just a parent on this visit. The On3 Industry Ranking evaluates Ivan as the No. 96 overall player, No. 8 safety and No. 20 prospect in Florida.
Running back Daniel Anderson from Bryant (Ark.) High returned to campus after earning an offer during the Irish Invasion. The 5-11, 190-pound Anderson has no On3 or On3 Industry Ranking rating. However, one primary recruiting service considers him a four-star recruit and the No. 159 overall player, No. 15 running back and No. 2 prospect in Arkansas.
After the clock goes past 11 a.m., Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor rising junior safety JaDon Blair emerges to “The Gug.” The 6-4, 180-pounder visited Notre Dame for the first time Sunday. He’s the No. 190 overall player, No. 15 safety and No. 5 prospect in North Carolina, per the On3 Industry Ranking.
Before the media departed campus, 2025 four-star offensive lineman Rowan Byrne from New Rochelle (N.Y.) Iona Preparatory School makes it in with his father. The 6-6, 290-pound Byrne visited Ohio State and Michigan before making it to South Bend.
The On3 Industry Ranking has Byrne as the 216 overall player, No. 17 offensive tackle and No. 1 prospect in New York. He last visited Notre Dame’s first evaluation camp on June 15.
Blue & Gold did not witness the following recruits make it in for their visits:
Saline (Mich.) High QB commit CJ Carr
Chicago Simeon EDGE target Christopher Burgess
Cleveland (Ohio) Heights DL target Brandon Caesar
Newberry (Fla.) High DL target Jarquez Carter
Cleveland (Ohio) Cleveland Heights LB target Marquise Davis
Chicago Immaculate Conception LB/EDGE target Dominik Hulak
Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic Memorial OT target Owen Strebig
Indianapolis Ben Davis High CB target Mark Zackery
Noblesville (Ind.) High DL prospect Israel Oladipupo
Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln-Way East EDGE prospect Caden O’Rourke
Leo (Ind.) Senior High TE prospect Brock Schott
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