Notre Dame coaches on the road: Irish to check in on recruit currently committed elsewhere

On Thursday, the Notre Dame football coaching staff will be well-represented in the Peach State. It is the seventh day the Irish coaches are out on the road recruiting. Meanwhile, one ND assistant will visit a recruit who is currently committed elsewhere.

During the spring evaluation period, the Irish staff can have “contact” with high school juniors. That means they can have full-on conversations rather than just a “bump” as previously allowed. But as far as 2026 prospects go, the “bump” rule remains.

The NCAA does not permit head coaches from visiting prospects during the spring period.

Here is where the Fighting Irish staff is expected to be on Thursday, according to Blue & Gold sources:

— Offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Mike Denbrock will be in Northwest Georgia to see one Notre Dame commit and two 2026 class targets. 

Atlanta Woodward Academy wide receiver Jerome Bettis Jr. can expect Denrbock to stop by his school. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound junior pledged to the Irish on March 17. He’s a three-star and the No. 129 wide receiver nationally and the No. 86 prospect in Georgia in 2025. 

Denbrock will also be at the high schools of elite four-star sophomore recruits Devin Carter and Kaiden Prothro. 

Bowdon (Ga.) High’s Prothro is the No. 33 overall player, No. 2 tight end nationally and No. 7 prospect in Georgia in 2026. Augusta (Ga.) Cedar Grove’s Carter is the No. 19 overall player, No. 3 wide receiver nationally and No. 3 prospect in Georgia in the class. Carter visited campus earlier this spring. 

Blue & Gold recently reported on Prothro’s recruitment here. 

— Wide receivers coach Mike Brown will also see Bettis and Carter. 

— Defensive coordinator Al Golden will be in the Atlanta area to see two 2026 four-star recruits who picked up Notre Dame offers on Pot of Gold Day. He will see Lawrenceville (Ga.) Grayson LB Tyler Atkinson and Loganville (Ga.) Grayson linebacker Anthony Davis.

Atkinson is the No. 8 overall player, No. 1 linebacker nationally and No. 1 prospect in Georgia in the class. Davis is the No. 280 overall player, No. 22 linebacker nationally and No. 28 prospect in Georgia. 

— Cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens will also be in the Atlanta area to see two 2026 four-star recruits: Douglasville (Ga.) George County athlete Aaron Gregory and Carrollton (Ga.) High safety Zelus Hicks. Gregory received his Notre Dame offer on Pot of Gold Day, and Hicks has been in consideration for one. 

Gregory is the No. 25 overall player, No. 5 wide receiver nationally and No. 6 prospect in Georgia in 2026. He can also play defensive back. Hicks checks in as the No. 20 overall player, No. 2 safety nationally and No. 4 prospect in Georgia in the class. 

— Quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli’s primary stop will be to Kingston (Ga.) Cass to see 2026 quarterback Brodie McWhorter. The three-star signal-caller is the No. 332 overall player, No. 19 quarterback nationally and No. 35 prospect in Georgia in the class. 

— The Irish continue to pursue Penn State top-100 running back commit Messiah Mickens. Running backs coach Deland McCullough will be at Harrisburg (Pa.) High to see the four-star 2026 recruit. 

Mickens is the No. 55 overall player, No. 7 running back nationally and No. 2 prospect in Pennsylvania. While he has been committed to the Nittany Lions since Aug. 19, Mickens still hears the Irish out. 

— Offensive line coach Joe Rudolph will be in Wisconsin to see three OL recruits, including offensive tackle commit Owen Strebig. 

In addition to Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic Memorial’s Strebig, Rudolph will also check out two 2026 offensive linemen from the state. Oak Creek (Wis.) High’s James Thomas and River Falls (Wis.) Samuel Simpson can expect Rudolph at their schools. 

Neither Thomas nor Simpson have On3 Industry Ranking ratings. However, they are power conference recruits. 

— Linebackers coach Max Bullough will be in Cincinnati to see two underclassmen thumpers.

Bullough will see St. Xavier, four-star linebacker Kobe Clapper, the No. 229 overall player and No. 18 linebacker in the class. Also the No. 8 prospect in Ohio, Clapper visited Notre Dame in April. The Irish offered Clapper on Pot of Gold Day. 

Then, Bullough will see Cincinnati Anderson linebacker Antwoine Higgins, a 2027 prospect who visited Notre Dame in April. Higgins has seven power conference offers. 

— We’re not aware of the whereabouts for Irish defensive line coach Al Washington.

— Special teams coordinator Marty Biagi is expected to remain in Australia.

The post Notre Dame coaches on the road: Irish to check in on recruit currently committed elsewhere appeared first on On3.