‘27 FL S Zayden Gamble (Notre Dame Verbal)

[Crazy Balki]

This DB class could be special...

CB - Xavier Hasan (committed)
CB - Ace Alston (committed)
CB/S - Tavares Harrington
S - Zayden Gamble
S - Gavin Williams
S/NB - John Gay (committed)

Combine that with last year's DB haul and we're cooking.

 

[Cpnd1]

Wiltfong predicted him to ND yesterday as well.

Florida Dame

 

[Cpnd1]

Making inroads at Thomas Aquinas is no bad thing

 

[NDdomer2]

We've been down this heavy florida route before. Hope this has a different destination at the end.

 

[IrishInOntario]

We've been down this heavy florida route before. Hope this has a different destination at the end.

I agree that I don't want ND to get too Florida heavy. That would likely lead to a lot of early career transfers. That said, there is too much talent in the state not to pursue a few select players each year.

What I don't want to see is ND abandon the state of Georgia. In 2025 there were more players from the state of Georgia in the NFL than any other state. ND needs to keep attacking Atlanta and the suburbs hard.

There are 13 states that I consider paramount to ND's annual recruiting operation. In no particular order:

1. Texas
2. Georgia
3. North Carolina
4. Florida
5. DMV (I know this a multi-state area)
6. Arizona
7. California
8. New Jersey
9. Illinois
10. Michigan
11. Ohio
12. Indiana
13. Pennsylvania

Obviously you have to be willing to recruit from everywhere there is talent, but those states are absolutely central to ND's continued recruiting success.

 

[greyhammer90]

I agree that I don't want ND to get too Florida heavy. That would likely lead to a lot of early career transfers. That said, there is too much talent in the state not to pursue a few select players each year.

What I don't want to see is ND abandon the state of Georgia. In 2025 there were more players from the state of Georgia in the NFL than any other state. ND needs to keep attacking Atlanta and the suburbs hard.

There are 13 states that I consider paramount to ND's annual recruiting operation. In no particular order:

1. Texas
2. Georgia
3. North Carolina
4. Florida
5. DMV (I know this a multi-state area)
6. Arizona
7. California
8. New Jersey
9. Illinois
10. Michigan
11. Ohio
12. Indiana
13. Pennsylvania

Obviously you have to be willing to recruit from everywhere there is talent, but those states are absolutely central to ND's continued recruiting success.

Funny you mention Georgia, I was thinking I've not heard a ton of Atlanta kids this cycle (of course Teddy reclassifying makes that a bit of a mirage). Agree fully though. Atlanta has loads of talent and while it's near UGA there are many transplants and the pull to the state schools is not nearly as intense in the metro area as it is elsewhere.

I'm just glad we stopped investing quite so much in California. You certainly need to pick your spots there and take fits (particularly tight knit community Polynesian kids) but someone finally realized that trying to convince flighty Fresno kids to come to Indiana isn't worth the trouble.

 

[Dale]

The knock on Florida guys recently is they are poorly coached due to poor funding at a lot of schools. Some coaches even moving to Georgia because of this. I would guess Chaminade-Madonna and Aquinas are the exceptions to that. Pouncey was a truly stunning pull. What is the rep on the area/high schools Grubbs and Monds are from? Not Dade County guys.

Even when we were Florida heavy at times, we never had a Seider.

 

[allenm5333]

Hypothetical, and considering the future (building pipelines v. hurting pipelines): Would you rather land our three Aquinas targets or our three Mount Carmel targets?

 

[Dale]

 

[ab2cmiller]

Didn't notice the shaded blue time of 6:30 at first.

 

[FLDomer]

The knock on Florida guys recently is they are poorly coached due to poor funding at a lot of schools. Some coaches even moving to Georgia because of this. I would guess Chaminade-Madonna and Aquinas are the exceptions to that. Pouncey was a truly stunning pull. What is the rep on the area/high schools Grubbs and Monds are from? Not Dade County guys.

Even when we were Florida heavy at times, we never had a Seider.

Grubbs went to Lake Mary High School, it is an affluent area outside of Orlando. Has a good reputation for academics and athletics.

Monds is in Vero Beach. I don’t know the high school but the City of Vero Beach is a nice area.

 

[Irish du Nord]

Funny you mention Georgia, I was thinking I've not heard a ton of Atlanta kids this cycle (of course Teddy reclassifying makes that a bit of a mirage). Agree fully though. Atlanta has loads of talent and while it's near UGA there are many transplants and the pull to the state schools is not nearly as intense in the metro area as it is elsewhere.

I'm just glad we stopped investing quite so much in California. You certainly need to pick your spots there and take fits (particularly tight knit community Polynesian kids) but someone finally realized that trying to convince flighty Fresno kids to come to Indiana isn't worth the trouble.

I think the problem with Atlanta is not it being near to UGA, it is being near to UGA, Alabama, Auburn, UF, Clemson, and Tennessee who all have huge alumni and fanbase presences there. It makes it easy to get crowded out.

Transplant culture down there is real (I was a part of it), but part of the issue is the lack of truly dominant Catholic or prep school programs. We've hit Marist, BT, Pace, and Woodward but the tougher pulls go to Milton, Buford, Douglas County, Grayson, Gainesville etc.

Compare that to Miami-Ft. Lauderdale where STA, Chaminade, & Miami Columbus offer similar cultures to ND. We've seen it a bunch where kids like the Catholic school atmosphere at their high school and subsequently feel comfortable on their first visit to ND.

 

[NDMD]

Didn't notice the shaded blue time of 6:30 at first.

Wouldn't read into it, that blue is closer to UF than ND

 

[ab2cmiller]

Wouldn't read into it, that blue is closer to UF than ND

Didn't read anything into it. Just pointing out that the time in the graphic wasn't obvious and thus I clicked on the video thinking that his announcement was imminent.

 

[bumpdaddy]

Just committed to the good guys.

 

[ndcoltsfan2010]

Hell yes!!!!

 

[NewEnglandGuy]

4th DB.

Will they stay at 5, or go to 6??? Likely depends on which players want in…

Remaining board today?
-Williams
-Harrington
-Torbert
-James

One of players 2-4, and then + Williams if you can?

 

[NDPhilly]

Big big get. Beat out pretty much everyone for him, including the Florida big 3 and OSU.

 

[allenm5333]

4th DB.

Will they stay at 5, or go to 6??? Likely depends on which players want in…

Remaining board today?
-Williams
-Harrington
-Torbert
-James

One of players 2-4, and then + Williams if you can?

Williams and the Texas commit are takes no matter what. They want 5. But those two whenever

 

[Dale]

Jamie’s comp was safety Julian Love

 

[ndfanatic78]

 

[GrangerIrish24]

Neat

 

[allenm5333]

View attachment 3063128

When Gay committed this week, I was at my work computer. This popped up. I am a teacher

 

[Me2SouthBend]

Set the hat size before you pick it up and try to wear it. Congrats young man you’ll be great in South Bend.

 

[SaltyND24]

When Gay committed this week, I was at my work computer. This popped up. I am a teacher

Brother. Same...Note to self: Commitment dates M-F before 4pm PST are to be treated as NSFW...lmao 🤣

 

[Padomer9]

When Gay committed this week, I was at my work computer. This popped up. I am a teacher

It’s happened to me on my school computer as well…couldn’t scroll fast enough and hit the back button lmao

 

[ndfanatic78]

You guys are killing me.🤣🤣🤣

 

[Rockin’Irish]

Rock on Zayden!!! 🤘🏼💀

 

[Irish#1]

Excellent!

 

[bobbyok1]

First an Ayden, now a Zayden. Looks like we've got DB covered from A-Z

Thanks for coming, I'll be here all week