Four recruits who would shoot fireworks into Notre Dame’s class by committing on the Fourth of July

It’s been almost two years since the Notre Dame football program picked up a verbal commitment on the Fourth of July. St. Louis De Smet Jesuit cornerback Christian Gray, a four-star in the 2023 class, was the last on July 4, 2022.

In the 2025 cycle, two of the Fighting Irish’s remaining recruiting targets, four-star safety JaDon Blair and four-star wide receiver Tanook Hines, have chosen to delay their decisions beyond Independence Day by announcing them on July 5 and July 8, respectively. But as for the other targets, they could come off the board at any time.

Here are four recruits who would shoot off fireworks by committing to Notre Dame on the Fourth of July.

Las Vegas Bishop Gorman four-star WR Derek Meadows

The 6-foot-6, 205-pound Derek Meadows has set a Sept. 1 deadline for his college decision, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if it came much sooner for the nation’s No. 38 overall player and No. 7 wide receiver in the 2025 class. One in the Fighting Irish’s favor would certainly send a blast into their recruiting class, as he would immediately rocket to the top as their highest-ranked pledge. 

If Meadows were to sign with Notre Dame, it would be an even more monumental recruiting victory for the program. In the internet recruiting era, which dates back to 2002, five-stars Michael Floyd and Duval Kamara were the only two wide receivers who ranked within the top 40 overall prospects. 

Meadows officially visited Michigan, Georgia, Notre Dame, LSU and Alabama. But this recruitment boils down to the Irish and Tide. 

Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng

Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng has not shared when he could commit other than revealing it could come sooner than his initial December decision. Could he be setting the stage to pop sometime this summer?

Every year, a few prospects send shockwaves on social media by announcing a surprise commitment on the Fourth of July. As the No. 74 overall player and No. 5 linebacker in the class, a commitment from Owusu-Boateng would certainly be a bang if it happened on Independence Day — especially because few have a read on his potential destination. 

The 6-0½, 200-pound Owusu-Boateng is down to Florida, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State and Southern California. But it seems like this is a three-team battle between the Irish, Wolverines and Trojans. Notre Dame fans would love it if it beat out those teams for the younger half-brother of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. 

San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) JSerra Catholic four-star LB Madden Faraimo

When Madden Faraimo discussed his recruitment with On3 director of recruiting Chad Simmons on June 18, the 6-3, 225-pound thumper said he wanted to commit the first week of July. However, the buzz surrounding the recruitment of the country’s No. 78 overall player and No. 8 linebacker suggests that the decision might be delayed beyond that. 

If Faraimo were to commit on Thursday, that would light up the sky for the Notre Dame football program and its fans. The Irish want to fend off momentum building with Texas and USC following Faraimo’s recent visits to those schools. If they can, it would mark another major recruiting victory for Marcus Freeman and the staff at linebacker. 

La Verne (Calif.) Bonita four-star WR Dylan Robinson

Dylan Robinson is the most recent Notre Dame target of this group, earning his offer this spring. But that doesn’t lessen his value in the Irish’s 2025 class. They need talented pass catchers, and as the No. 187 overall player and No. 8 “athlete” in America, the 6-2 190-pound Robinson fits the bill. 

Notre Dame is the outlier in this recruitment for two reasons: It is the only school recruiting him as a wide receiver and the only one he is considering outside the West. Robinson’s other top schools, UCLA and Washington, both have given him the option to play defense and, by the sounds of it, prefer him on that side of the ball. 

Robinson has been in decision mode and wants to commit sometime this month. If it were on July 4, that could spark some buzz in Notre Dame’s favor for Hines ahead of his decision and give Deuce Knight two more wideouts in the class. Meadows will still have a spot if he wants it.

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