Official visitor storylines: Notre Dame looks to capitalize on firm commitments from Irish Invasion targets

Last June, the Notre Dame football program identified two potential five-star prospects after they participated in the Irish Invasion camp. One year later, the Fighting Irish will look to finally move forward with them as members of their 2025 recruiting class following Friday through Saturday’s official visits.

Top 100 recruits Derek Meadows and Ivan Taylor were two of three recruits to earn an offer after Notre Dame’s unpublicized prospect camp on June 4, 2023. The other was three-star running back Daniel Anderson, who committed to Notre Dame on Sept. 23 and returned to campus for the second time last Friday on his official visit.

The Irish eventually secured a verbal commitment from Taylor on Dec. 1. Although he remains publicly pledged to Notre Dame, he has reopened his recruitment to two other teams. Coach Marcus Freeman’s squad was also tracking well for a declaration from Meadows until three SEC schools and a Big Ten program became involved.

Notre Dame’s 2025 class already features 21 commits, and 11 of them—including Anderson and Taylor—will be on campus this weekend for their one allotted official visit to South Bend. In addition to Meadows, four-star wide receiver Tanook Hines is the only other target on campus.

Blue & Gold breaks down three official visitor storylines entering this weekend. All rankings referenced are according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

Can Notre Dame make another move on Derek Meadows?

The Irish led for the Las Vegas Bishop Gorman senior for most of his recruitment despite Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Michigan becoming heavily involved. Notre Dame was also in pole position before Meadows became a fringe five-star recruit. It’s safe to say this is a much more competitive recruitment than when former Irish wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey offered Meadows a year ago.

The 6-foot-5, 185-pound pass catcher is the No. 37 overall player, No. 7 wide receiver and No. 1 prospect in Nevada in the 2025 cycle. If he finishes within the top 32 — reflecting the number of first-round NFL Draft picks — when rankings are finalized in February, he would be a five-star.

Notre Dame is not the only one vying for Meadows’ talent. When he was at Washington, Alabama’s wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shepherd was the first power conference coach to offer him. On3 VP of recruiting Steve Wiltfong has revealed that Georgia’s Kirby Smart is Meadows’ favorite head coach. Meadows’ father holds LSU in high regard, considering it “wide receiver university.” And there are some in his corner advocating for Michigan.

Still, the Irish have prioritized Meadows longer than any other program. Education, the opportunity to make an on-field impact and life after football are all big parts of his decision. Those all favor Notre Dame to some degree.

Meadows has already officially visited Michigan and Georgia and will likely make it to LSU and Alabama for OVs, no matter the outcome of his Notre Dame visit. It will be important for the Irish to put themselves back in front for Meadows ahead of his Sept. 1 commitment deadline.

Will Ivan Taylor shut it down?

Last Friday, reports surfaced that Taylor was at Alabama for an official visit. Then, on Sunday, BamaOnLine revealed the seven-month ND commit was previously in Tuscaloosa for an unofficial visit this spring.

While the Tide look to flip the No. 59 overall player and No. 7 safety in the 2025 class, his Alabama official visit could not have come at a better time. One week later, the Irish will get to counter Kalen DeBoer’s efforts when Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange’s Taylor returns to South Bend.

The 6-foot-0½, 180-pound Taylor felt hurt when his primary recruiter at Notre Dame, Chris O’Leary, departed for the NFL. Meanwhile, Alabama defensive backs coach Colin Hitschler pounced on the opportunity to make a move in Taylor’s recruitment. When Hitschler was at Wisconsin, the Badgers were a finalist before Taylor committed to Notre Dame on May 1.

Taylor’s hesitance to shut it down will require Freeman’s efforts to reclaim his commitment this weekend. Defensive backs coach Mike Mickens must make Taylor confident in his vision and their relationship.

Michigan will get Taylor on campus for an official visit from June 21-23 before the recruiting dead period goes into effect on June 24. Like Meadows, Taylor is a borderline five-star prospect, per 247Sports and ESPN. This is what five-star recruiting looks like in 2024. We’ll see if Freeman and Co. are up for the test.

Can Notre Dame close on Tanook Hines?

After Hines unofficially visited Notre Dame on April 6, the sense was that it took the lead in his recruitment. Since then, the Houston Dekaney product officially visited Arizona State, Arkansas, Southern California and Texas. Notre Dame also offered four-star wide receivers Dylan Robinson and JonAnthony Hall, who officially visited campus from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Hines ranks as the No. 328 overall player, No. 49 wide receiver nationally and No. 51 prospect in Texas in the class. He has blazing speed, which the Irish covet, registering a 10.45-second 100-meter dash time in the spring.

The 5-11½, 170-pounder not revealed much insight into his recruitment, so it is hard to say where it stands entering Friday. However, it would not be surprising if the Irish added him to the class after this weekend.

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