What to except from Notre Dame football during the 2025 February signing day

Posted by author February 5, 2025 Football

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The final signing period is upon us for the 2025 recruiting cycle, and for Notre Dame, there isn’t much to expect.

Much of the luster of the first Wednesday in February has been lost with the addition of the early signing period in December, as the Irish signed 24 commits while also taking 8 transfers. With some much player movement already, and not many 2025 uncommitted recruits being linked to Notre Dame, we shouldn’t expect much from this signing period.

There are still more than a few aspects of this class that need to be talked about, and let’s start with the top ranked signee on both offense and defense according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings before getting into who could make an early splash and more.

Top ranked offensive player

It would not surprise me one bit if offensive tackle Will Black forces his way into the rotation, even if the isn’t a starter for the season opener. Remember, it took an injury for Anthonie Knapp to find his way in the starting lineup, and while we hope that isn’t the case, the No. 27 overall recruit has an extremely high ceiling. The Canadian native just recently started playing football, and Black could even outplay his ranking.

Top ranked defensive player

For many months it looked like it was easily going to be linebacker Madden Faraimo, and while he did finish as Notre Dame’s top ranked defender, edge Christopher Burgess finished right behind him as the No. 69 overall player. The linebacker is already on campus, which gives him a huge leg up on seeing the field this fall. Faraimo is in the same mold as Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, and we all saw what he did this past fall.

Offensive signee that could surprise

A former Boston College commit, running back Nolan James flew under the radar, as he only had a major offers. While Notre Dame did come in late for his recruitment, what they saw was enough from the New Jersey native. For many “athletes,” when they are ranked this way, they aren’t typically given a fair shake as opposed to their peers. It wouldn’t surprise me to see James have an impact fairly early in his Irish career.

Defensive signee that could surprise

Defensive back Brandon Logan might just be the best athlete on the team as soon as he arrives on campus. He’s already slotted to play baseball as well, and there’s a slight chance he might not even make it to South Bend. Don’t be surprised if Logan at least entertains a draft offer from an MLB team as he was once a Vanderbilt baseball commit. He did seem very locked in to playing both sports for the Irish in this recent interview with Super 60. That being said, Logan most likely will be busy being part of two programs for Notre Dame.

Final ranking

As of Tuesday night, Notre Dame had the No. 12 ranked squad in the 247Sports Composite Team ranking, as they saw multiple SEC and Big Ten teams all around them. No player was named as a composite 5-star, but the Irish did sign fifteen 4-stars and nine 3-stars. It’s a group that head coach Marcus Freeman should be able to build upon, as the Irish have seen a bump in recruiting since he has taken over the program.