2027 Master List

IrishInOntario

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Part of the issue with WR recruiting is that they took 5 WRs in the 2026 class, then added 2 more WRs with multiple years of eligibility remaining via the transfer portal. As a result, the ND WR room is quite crowded with underclassmen for the foreseeable future. Therefore, they're likely to only take 2-3 guys in this class, so they're pushing for the top end of the board, rather than volume.... Those same guys are being heavily pursued and highly paid by everyone else, so it's going to take a while for those top targets to trim their lists.

I'm confident that by the end of the cycle ND will end up getting at least 2 high end players at the position.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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I just don’t get Oklahoma as a concept. It’s just such a bland football factory. What is unique about it?
Fracking earthquakes in the last 15 years? Honestly, I have no idea now that I think about it.

This is a great question. They are pretty "meh" at the moment and really just sort of floating in college football purgatory in a way.

They have a head coach going into Year Five. Are they still in a rebuild? They're in the SEC, but so what? Anything they've ever done was in The Big 8 or Big 12. I guess maybe they have NIL money to throw around maybe?
 

NDQuebec

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On the ISD podcast, Mike Frank showed a certain level of concern with WR recruiting for 2027. I agree with the poster above that stated that Mike Brown better improve his recruiting.
 

Dale

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What percent of the recruiting budget are we devoting to WRs?

We are not in a recruiting world anymore where Coach _____ just needs to text recruits more and do better. I find it impossible to criticize position coaches about recruiting anymore. It’s entirely missing the scope. There’s a reason DL recruiting has picked up, and it ain’t Washington transformed overnight last year or the Partridge hire.

We also have 7 WRs with 4 years of eligibility on the team.
 

NDFAN2008

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You only lose Faison after this year, Greathouse could be back but I bet he finds somewhere else to play his 5th year. I'm guessing if Williams or Gilbert don't play much this year they might bounce as well. You still got the two Ohio State transfers, Burress, Saldate, Finley, Fitz, and the rest of the Freshman. Remember when we had like 5 WR's on scholarship that were healthy to play?
 

zelezo vlk

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You only lose Faison after this year, Greathouse could be back but I bet he finds somewhere else to play his 5th year. I'm guessing if Williams or Gilbert don't play much this year they might bounce as well. You still got the two Ohio State transfers, Burress, Saldate, Finley, Fitz, and the rest of the Freshman. Remember when we had like 5 WR's on scholarship that were healthy to play?
Yes I remember the Fiesta Bowl vs Okie State
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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What percent of the recruiting budget are we devoting to WRs?

We are not in a recruiting world anymore where Coach _____ just needs to text recruits more and do better. I find it impossible to criticize position coaches about recruiting anymore. It’s entirely missing the scope. There’s a reason DL recruiting has picked up, and it ain’t Washington transformed overnight last year or the Partridge hire.

We also have 7 WRs with 4 years of eligibility on the team.
Great point.

I think one could argue that WR isn't even a top five position in the NFL any longer in terms of importance. QB, Edge, Left Tackle, Corner and DT are where positional value trends are at right now. NFL WR salaries also skyrocketed in recent years.
 

zelezo vlk

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Great point.

I think one could argue that WR isn't even a top five position in the NFL any longer in terms of importance. QB, Edge, Left Tackle, Corner and DT are where positional value trends are at right now. NFL WR salaries also skyrocketed in recent years.
I understand where you're coming from, but the NFL says otherwise in terms of contracts. There are 2 corners in 2025 that made 30MM, Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley. There were 8 NFL receivers making 30MM+ in 2025. The drop off from 30MM to 25MM for corners adds only 1 more guy but dropping to 24MM gives you 5 total CBs. Conversely there are 17 WRs making 24MM or more.
 

IrishInOntario

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On the ISD podcast, Mike Frank showed a certain level of concern with WR recruiting for 2027. I agree with the poster above that stated that Mike Brown better improve his recruiting.
Mike Frank was concerned about something...? Not Mike...

Mike Frank could win $100 million usd in a lottery and he'd immediately be concerned that he didn't win $105 million. He lives his life in a perpetual state of anxiety lol.
 
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NDQuebec

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Mike Frank was concerned about something...? Not Mike...

Mike Frank could win $100 million usd in a lottery and he'd immediately be concerned that he didn't win $105 million. He lives his life in perpetual state of anxiety lol.
Hey Ontario, don't snow on my Quebec parade. Mike Frank has the same initials as Marcus Freeman. Both are great ND men. Now that that's out of the way, the WR board keeps changing, and not for the better. Monshun Sales has sailed away, and others at the top of the board are fading away. As of today, WR recruiting is meh, eh?
 

IrishInOntario

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Hey Ontario, don't snow on my Quebec parade. Mike Frank has the same initials as Marcus Freeman. Both are great ND men. Now that that's out of the way, the WR board keeps changing, and not for the better. Monshun Sales has sailed away, and others at the top of the board are fading away. As of today, WR recruiting is meh, eh?
Monshun Sales never had ND at the top of his board. Many thought that because he lives in Indiana that ND would have the inside track, but Sales never confirmed that. Most in the "know" have always thought he was most likely to go elsewhere, similar to Jamier Brown.

In terms of a realistic targets, the top of ND's board is Julius Jones Jr, Easton Royal, Osani Gayles and Xavier Sabb... The next tier is the likes of Julian Caldwell, Cade Cooper, Trenton Yancey, Tyler Fryerman, etc.

I think you'll see ND grab a couple guys off those lists. By the end of the spring the board will take better shape and 2-3 other names might appear as options as well.
 
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NDMatt91

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Monshun Sales never had ND at the top of his board. Many thought that because he lives in Indiana that ND would have the inside track, but Sales never confirmed that. Most in the "know" have always thought he was most likely to go elsewhere, similar to Jamier Brown.

In terms of a realistic targets, the top of ND's board is Julius Jones Jr, Easton Royal, Osani Gayles and Xavier Sabb... The next tier is the likes of Julian Caldwell, Cade Cooper, Trenton Yancey, Cade Cooper, Tyler Fryerman, etc.

I think you'll see ND grab a couple guys off those lists. By the end of the spring the board will take better shape and 2-3 other names might appear as options as well.
What about Burrell from Chicago?
 

IrishInOntario

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What about Burrell from Chicago?
Burrell is in the "next" tier as well. He's not a top of the board guy for ND at this stage of the recruiting cycle, but he's a guy that they will continue to stay in contact with. Quite a few of the regional and national powers have backed off on him. Solid prospect, but nothing earth shattering. IMO, a touch overrated like many of the WRs to come out of Chicago (and surrounding area) over the last decade whose names have been connected to Notre Dame during their respective recruiting cycles.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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I understand where you're coming from, but the NFL says otherwise in terms of contracts. There are 2 corners in 2025 that made 30MM, Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley. There were 8 NFL receivers making 30MM+ in 2025. The drop off from 30MM to 25MM for corners adds only 1 more guy but dropping to 24MM gives you 5 total CBs. Conversely there are 17 WRs making 24MM or more.
More than fair points. I think over the course of the next few years this will start to catch up, perhaps?

I do think, and the point was made earlier by Ontario, they have WR on the roster that probably puts them in a position this cycle where they are not going to be in a sense of urgency and can be selective at the position this time around. I also question why Seneca Driver verbally committing to OU in March suddenly puts Mike Brown on some kind of hot seat to recruit better for his job.

To Dale's point, recruiting has changed. New era, new parameters.
 

zelezo vlk

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More than fair points. I think over the course of the next few years this will start to catch up, perhaps?

I do think, and the point was made earlier by Ontario, they have WR on the roster that probably puts them in a position this cycle where they are not going to be in a sense of urgency and can be selective at the position this time around. I also question why Seneca Driver verbally committing to OU in March suddenly puts Mike Brown on some kind of hot seat to recruit better for his job.

To Dale's point, recruiting has changed. New era, new parameters.
I don't expect CBs to catch up, but mainly because I read it from Offense > Defense in terms of importance for NFL team building, but elite CB contracts will always be near the top of the WR market. The pay discrepancy might also be caused by the volatility of CB play year to year.

100% correct about new era, new parameters.
 
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