'25 NV WR Derek Meadows (Alabama Verbal)

[Jimmy3Putt]

He’s three years in at this point. We’re #6 in the country with one of the most deeply talented teams we’ve had in a long time. Whatever skill set he was hired for, he seems to be doing fine.

Agreed. Best roster and staff we've had in 30 years.
The man is doing ok.

 

[stlnd01]

ND will struggle to be inside the top 8 in final recruiting rankings. I think ND will perennially be in the 8-14 range with recruit rankings. It happenes every year. ND may be in top five starting out but by end of year when everyone had their signings ND drops.

We need to build the quality of depth with incoming freshman (keep the BCR above 75), find the diamonds where we can and fill in with portal transfers at specific needs each year.

NIL and the 12 team playoff will bring parity and I think ND is positioned to do very good things in the future.

This is the most annoying part.

We lock up most of our class early with kids who want to be at Notre Dame. Shoot up the rankings and everyone gets all hype. Then Signing Day gets close and the ones who want to play the game or sell themselves to the highest bidder commit to Tennessee or Miami or wherever the fuck and we drop down the charts, triggering the caterwauling from the usual suspects about how we'll never win a title recruiting like this.

I dunno. Check back in three years, when our four-stars have become grown-ass men and their fives are selling themselves again in the portal, and tell me who has a better football team.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

This is the most annoying part.

We lock up most of our class early with kids who want to be at Notre Dame. Shoot up the rankings and everyone gets all hype. Then Signing Day gets close and the ones who want to play the game or sell themselves to the highest bidder commit to Tennessee or Miami or wherever the fuck and we drop down the charts, triggering the caterwauling from the usual suspects about how we'll never win a title recruiting like this.

I dunno. Check back in three years, when our four-stars have become grown-ass men and their fives are selling themselves again in the portal, and tell me who has a better football team.

Freeman has a formula that's working. Find the diamonds and develop.
This team is so much better than its high school star rating.

 

[Blazers46]

It took $10m for the the top player in a Michigan HS to go to Michigan. Which will probably help them land and keep recruits for one of their best classes ever.

It took years of cheating to help convince and give just enough hope to players that would have otherwise left to stay and they eventually won a national title.

That song “I will do anything for love”…. that’s Michigan right now “but I won’t do that” is Notre Dame right now.

We play the game but the game is so grimy and almost void of any sort of ethics or morals that Notre Dame either needs to decide to cross that line or be fine with Top 15 classes and hope to be in the top12 in hopes they can win at least one game. That’s about the ceiling in today’s game for ND.

 

[Irish du Nord]

It took years of cheating to help convince and give just enough hope to players that would have otherwise left to stay and they eventually won a national title.

That song “I will do anything for love”…. that’s Michigan right now “but I won’t do that” is Notre Dame right now.

We play the game but the game is so grimy and almost void of any sort of ethics or morals that Notre Dame either needs to decide to cross that line or be fine with Top 15 classes and hope to be in the top12 in hopes they can win at least one game. That’s about the ceiling in today’s game for ND.

I would agree with you on all of this if we weren’t currently in line for a home playoff game in a year without a dominant program.

Lots of grimy programs have failed, we’ve got 5 games to worry about instead of Michigan doing Michigan things

 

[GoldenToTheGrave]

Agreed. Best roster and staff we've had in 30 years.
The man is doing ok.

Best roster we had in 30 years was 2015. We just had the worst DC I've ever seen.

 

[GrangerIrish24]

Best roster we had in 30 years was 2015. We just had the worst DC I've ever seen.

It was great top end takent, but it was an average roster after the top 22 players.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

Brainrot is real. Logic is too rational.

Dunning-Kruger effect is really hard to overcome.

 

[irishu]

We should have taken Jon Anthony Hall...

JonAnthony Hall, Fishers , Wide Receiver

Member of 247Sports’ 2025 Freaks List. Also plays basketball and competes in track and field. Averaged 11.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.7 steals...

247sports.com

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

This is the most annoying part.

We lock up most of our class early with kids who want to be at Notre Dame. Shoot up the rankings and everyone gets all hype. Then Signing Day gets close and the ones who want to play the game or sell themselves to the highest bidder commit to Tennessee or Miami or wherever the fuck and we drop down the charts, triggering the caterwauling from the usual suspects about how we'll never win a title recruiting like this.

I dunno. Check back in three years, when our four-stars have become grown-ass men and their fives are selling themselves again in the portal, and tell me who has a better football team.

I find that NDs current path is a pretty resilient path forward. We will have a lot of guys that want to be here and know what a ND education is worth. We more than likely will have very little turnover relative to other high profile programs but will still have to account for losses and transfers. In the end the majority of the team and culture remains and continues on. ND wont be moving year to year in different directions and become beholden to one or two 5 stars requiring constant attention.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I find that NDs current path is a pretty resilient path forward. We will have a lot of guys that want to be here and know what a ND education is worth. We more than likely will have very little turnover relative to other high profile programs but will still have to account for losses and transfers. In the end the majority of the team and culture remains and continues on. ND wont be moving year to year in different directions and become beholden to one or two 5 stars requiring constant attention.

This is correct, yet seemingly incredibly difficult to understand.

 

[Katzenboyer]

We're 9-1, right in the thick of things for a playoff berth, and people are complaining about MF's recruiting like it's a threat to him as a coach. The talent has been upgraded across the board, and people are still not satisfied.

Get a grip. If people continue to expect ND to join the likes of OSU, Bama, and UGA for the recruiting rankings, you haven't been paying attention. MF deserves certain criticisms, but roster building is absolutely not one of them.

 

[JadedDomer]

We're 9-1, right in the thick of things for a playoff berth, and people are complaining about MF's recruiting like it's a threat to him as a coach. The talent has been upgraded across the board, and people are still not satisfied.

Get a grip. If people continue to expect ND to join the likes of OSU, Bama, and UGA for the recruiting rankings, you haven't been paying attention. MF deserves certain criticisms, but roster building is absolutely not one of them.

This class will be identical to a Brian Kelly class. Last class was around 11th if I recall. Coaches who "make it" take off in the early years of recruting.

ND fans unanimously agreed that MF needed to bring NDs recruting beyond Kelly's floor. If he can't do that and were getting the scraps of Michigan and Oregon now, what the hell are we doing here? I'm not changing the bar we all were aligned on when MF was hired.

 

[GrangerIrish24]

This class will be identical to a Brian Kelly class. Last class was around 11th if I recall. Coaches who "make it" take off in the early years of recruting.

ND fans unanimously agreed that MF needed to bring NDs recruting beyond Kelly's floor. If he can't do that and were getting the scraps of Michigan and Oregon now, what the hell are we doing here? I'm not changing the bar we all were aligned on when MF was hired.

Look at it this way. Where would be if Kelly was still running the program in this new NIL era?

 

[Katzenboyer]

This class will be identical to a Brian Kelly class. Last class was around 11th if I recall. Coaches who "make it" take off in the early years of recruting.

ND fans unanimously agreed that MF needed to bring NDs recruting beyond Kelly's floor. If he can't do that and were getting the scraps of Michigan and Oregon now, what the hell are we doing here? I'm not changing the bar we all were aligned on when MF was hired.

What the hell are we doing here? We're about to go the playoffs. That's what. Should we fire MF because you're unhappy the recruiting class this year might not finish Top 10?

MF has markedly upgraded the talent from Kelly. Full f*cking stop. You're lying to yourself if you argue otherwise.

247 Team Composite Ratings for Notre Dame
2019: 843.29
2020: 866.56
2021: 853.74
2022: 868.32
2023: 870.70
2024: 905.52

The "rankings crowd" on this board are misinformed boobs. MF has improved the talent, he's built depth at every position on the roster, and he has shown an ability to get impact players in the transfer portal. He's been a marked improvement over everything Kelly has done, and that doesn't change because you panty grabbers are upset Meadows might join Underwood at Michigan.

 

[Katzenboyer]

Look at it this way. Where would be if Kelly was still running the program in this new NIL era?

The guy just lost the gem of his '25 class, and will probably lose another five-star in DJ Pickett. There's a chance LSU's class finishes at/below ND this year, despite all the advantages he has recruiting kids in Baton Rouge.

 

[GrangerIrish24]

The guy just lost the gem of his '25 class, and will probably lose another five-star in DJ Pickett. There's a chance LSU's class finishes at/below ND this year, despite all the advantages he has recruiting kids in Baton Rouge.

Exactly. People want to blame Freeman but he’s far from the issue when it comes to landing the elites.

 

[NDVirginia19]

I would so much rather have 10 $1M guys than 1 $10M guy. Going to be a huge problem if indeed a 5 Star Quarterback flames out and is not a gamechanger, as shocking as that possibility may be

 

[allenm5333]

I would so much rather have 10 $1M guys than 1 $10M guy. Going to be a huge problem if indeed a 5 Star Quarterback flames out and is not a gamechanger, as shocking as that possibility may be

Underwood would be worth it if Harbaugh was there. Moore is a fraud

 

[GrangerIrish24]

I would so much rather have 10 $1M guys than 1 $10M guy. Going to be a huge problem if indeed a 5 Star Quarterback flames out and is not a gamechanger, as shocking as that possibility may be

The bigger issue is the locker room. A good friend of mine has been coaching at big SEC program for a while and they have been dealing with a ton of locker room issues due to NIL.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

I find that NDs current path is a pretty resilient path forward. We will have a lot of guys that want to be here and know what a ND education is worth. We more than likely will have very little turnover relative to other high profile programs but will still have to account for losses and transfers. In the end the majority of the team and culture remains and continues on. ND wont be moving year to year in different directions and become beholden to one or two 5 stars requiring constant attention.

Agreed. Additionally, there seem to be two other benefits ND has recently realized.

1. with new transfer rules, most kids are going to wait until they finish their degree at ND before transferring. Great insurance policy if an injury to key player occurs (i.e., Steve Angeli). Most kids are bright enough to not bust their ass at ND & leave empty handed.

2. Former-NFL players realize they were the exception to the rule & made it to the big time. When their sons follow in their footsteps, I’m sure the conversation comes up about how the odds at making the NFL are extremely long so better have a backup plan.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

We're 9-1, right in the thick of things for a playoff berth, and people are complaining about MF's recruiting like it's a threat to him as a coach. The talent has been upgraded across the board, and people are still not satisfied.

Get a grip. If people continue to expect ND to join the likes of OSU, Bama, and UGA for the recruiting rankings, you haven't been paying attention. MF deserves certain criticisms, but roster building is absolutely not one of them.

I believe ND has a hard ceiling in recruiting freshmen each year, which is finishing 8-14 with a high BCR. Maybe one or two years where we hit in top five but thats the exception not the rule. If our BCR starts dropping we need to worry then.

 

[NDMatt91]

Might be an unpopular take, but Meadows scares me. He could easily be Jordan Johnson 2.0 given the lack of production.

 

[Cpnd1]

Looks like bama and Michigan according to who he tagged

 

[Katzenboyer]

I believe ND has a hard ceiling in recruiting freshmen each year, which is finishing 8-14 with a high BCR. Maybe one or two years where we hit in top five but thats the exception not the rule. If our BCR starts dropping we need to worry then.

And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. ND can get the type of classes that it's getting with MF, add talent through the transfer portal, and win a national championship.

The process of building a title contender is going to be markedly different from how Bama, UGA, OSU, etc. do it, but in this day and age ND can absolutely win a title doing things exactly how Freeman is doing them.

That doesn't change because a four-star WR from Bishop Gorman chooses to join his buddy in Ann Arbor.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I know it's a small collective, but the people out here who put recruiting rankings ahead of winning actual football games is just a really odd take to have. Freeman is closing in on an 11-1 season and 30 wins in three full years in charge. The program is in good shape on and off of the field. Somehow, winning battles on the Rivals and 247 message boards in December and February are more important to people.

We're not dealing with the same recruiting landscape as we were five years ago before Covid. Michigan just gave a high school kid over $10M. How's that going to sit with the rest of that roster considering all the players they've had drafted in the last two drafts and the one coming up?
I'm telling you, let these others fuck around and find out. I really don't want any part of it. Learn from other people's major mistakes.

 

[MacIrish75]

If you can recruit elite talent and also develop recruits with elite traits, you can finish 7-13 in the talent rankings and still compose an elite roster. Right now we’ve got guys who can develop talent in the following position groupings:

RB
OL
DL*
LB
DB

Obviously QB and WR are two negative outliers and we just don’t utilize the TE spot the same as we did under Thom Rees. Our special teams are burnt asshole. DL is weird bc we know Washington has not recruited exceptionally well, but DL is still a strength and probably would have been a phenomenal unit without the injuries.

Freeman is proving to be able to recruit at a level that is equivalent to slightly improved over Kelly with an ability (thus far) to develop recruited talent better than Kelly did. That’s a recipe for success—and as much as it pains me to say it—the recipe Michigan used pretty successfully (besides cheating) to develop a roster to compete for a national title.

 

[Rocketman84]

The only way we are getting a 5 star player is offensive lineman or a linebacker.

Really alarming that these schools with no decent tradition and schools middling around .500 can land "blue chip" guys without a problem, while a traditional and storied program like ND is constantly landing project/filler level recruits.

 

[Rocketman84]

I know it's a small collective, but the people out here who put recruiting rankings ahead of winning actual football games is just a really odd take to have. Freeman is closing in on an 11-1 season and 30 wins in three full years in charge. The program is in good shape on and off of the field. Somehow, winning battles on the Rivals and 247 message boards in December and February are more important to people.

We're not dealing with the same recruiting landscape as we were five years ago before Covid. Michigan just gave a high school kid over $10M. How's that going to sit with the rest of that roster considering all the players they've had drafted in the last two drafts and the one coming up?
I'm telling you, let these others fuck around and find out. I really don't want any part of it. Learn from other people's major mistakes.

11-1 is a great record but we really had no reason not to be undefeated this season with the schedule we faced combined with our recent play. The recruiting helps because its the foundation of your depth and "in house" WR recruiting has been horrid and not up to par with a top 10 program. This will reer its ugly head in the future with a tougher schedule unless going 10-2 and getting embarrassed in the postseason is the goal.

 

[Katzenboyer]

If you can recruit elite talent and also develop recruits with elite traits, you can finish 7-13 in the talent rankings and still compose an elite roster. Right now we’ve got guys who can develop talent in the following position groupings:

RB
OL
DL*
LB
DB

Obviously QB and WR are two negative outliers and we just don’t utilize the TE spot the same as we did under Thom Rees.

Not to nitpick, but why is QB a negative outlier? We've brought in Minchey and Carr in the last two classes, both four stars, and we're about to sign a third with Hebert. And even though the TE has been under-utilized, we still recruit the position very well.

Our special teams are burnt asshole. DL is weird bc we know Washington has not recruited exceptionally well, but DL is still a strength and probably would have been a phenomenal unit without the injuries.

Where is this "Washington has not recruited exceptionally well" coming from? We're about to sign a class with 4 four stars, including a Top 50 guy in Burgess. We signed three four stars in 2024, including a Top 50 guy in Bryce Young. We brought in three four stars in 2023. And with the injuries we've suffered on the DL, his development of the guys who've needed to step up has been pretty impressive.

Again, if your point of reference is "we're not recruiting on the DL like Georgia, Bama and OSU," you're always going to be disappointed. Those kids aren't coming to ND, regardless of the money we put in front of them.