Newsstand: How Notre Dame Orange Bowl win could help the Irish in recruiting
After beating Penn State 27-24 in the Orange Bowl, Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman ensured to work in a recruiting pitch in his postgame news conference. When asked what a College Football Playoff semifinal win could do for the program, Freeman recognized the talent nearby Hard Rock Stadium.
”Winning helps everything,” Freeman told reporters afterward. “There’s a lot of coaches that are on the road right now recruiting, and fortunately for us, the best recruiting we can do is winning.
“But also, hopefully, the culture that is built here attracts recruits. This is a place — we know South Florida is a hotbed. South Florida has a lot of great football players. Hopefully we find the right ones that choose Notre Dame.”
In the 2026 class — this current recruiting cycle — the Irish have offered four recruits from South Florida:
Boca Raton (Fla.) West Boca Raton four-star RB Javian Mallory
Opa Locka (Fla.) Northwestern four-star WR Calvin Russell
Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Monarch four-star WR Jabari Brady
Boca Raton (Fla.) Saint Andrew’s School three-star WR Dylan Faison
Faison, the younger brother of Irish sophomore wide receiver Jordan Faison, is verbally committed to Notre Dame.
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Notre Dame Quote of the Day
“Thirteen years ago, I had a daughter born on the same day as me. For the past 13 years, she gets all the birthday credit. But this is special. Again, this is a special moment that a lot of hard work has been put into it. It’s not about a birthday. This is just about a moment and enjoying this moment together.”
— Freeman, who is celebrating his 39th birthday Friday, on where this birthday ranks for him.
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