Notre Dame has stacked up a 12th-ranked class nationally in their 2025 cycle. But with just one wide receiver and no 5-star talent in the class, some long-term concerns are cropping up. That is the primary reason why the 2026 class becomes paramount for Marcus Freeman. Having already roped in 16 commits, the Irish head coach is trending towards a 4th-ranked class nationally. That being said, this upcoming weekend will be crucial for Marcus Freeman and will present a stern test of his recruiting prowess.

Marcus Freeman and his staff were probably planning for this weekend for months to come. Why? Because a whopping 9 uncommitted targets are making their official visits to South Bend this weekend. But the Irish head coach probably knows all that, and that’s why this weekend will be a spectacle at Notre Dame. For context, the Irish will also have 12 of the 16 commits of the 2026 class on campus in a bid to pair them up with those uncommitted players and make a statement. Despite that, everything won’t be a cakewalk either.

Tyler Wojciak, the Irish insider, provided just how important the visits will be on his June 12th episode of ‘Locked on Irish.’ “What’s realistically on the table right now? Like, what has to happen? Well, you don’t need to bat a thousand, but you need to land three to four commitments from this group in the short term, and you need to connect on a few key targets.” But connecting these targets? It’s a race against time, and those uncommitted players have high-profile suitors too.

Since Freeman had just one WR commit last year, the sealing of at least two WR commitments becomes extremely important. Right now, among those nine players visiting, Kadon Finley (4-star), Brayden Robinson (4-star), and Devin Fitzgerald (3-star) are the three Irish wide receiver targets visiting. Among them, the commitment of Finley would be a coup for Freeman, since he is the 14th-ranked wide receiver in the country, and standing at 6’0″ and 200 lbs, he has immense potential. The only problem?

Finley, a native of Aledo, Texas, is aggressively pursued by the Texas Longhorns, and even his dad played football for Texas. So, right now, Steve Sarkisian is the favorite to land him, but having Finley on campus this weekend will be a great opportunity for Freeman to show his charm. However, in any case, Freeman fails to land him; Brayden Robinson is also a great wide receiver out of Texas, standing at 5’8″ and 160 lbs. That said, Robinson is in no hurry, having set his commitment date on July 20th, on his mom’s birthday. Moreover, Miami is after him quite aggressively, too. Other players, apart from WRs, will also be crucial for Notre Dame this weekend.

Other positions also present a stern test for Marcus Freeman this weekend

Apart from these players, the Irish are also hosting the 3-star tight end Preston Fryzel and another tight end (4-star), Evan Jacobson. Both of these players are high on Marcus Freeman’s priority list, especially Jacobson, who has a strong relationship with Mike Denbrock. In terms of Jacobson’s commitment date, he will commit in late July, but Tyler Wojciak stressed, “Notre Dame feels very good about this one, and it would not be a shock for me if he moves the timeline up.” 

As we all know, offensive tackles have been a strength for Notre Dame in recent years, and that could play its part in influencing Grayson McKeogh’s commitment, who is a beast at 6’7″ and 275 lbs. Currently, Penn State is after him. James Franklin is a heavy favorite to land his commitment. This is because he is a native of Pennsylvania, and James Franklin is known for keeping his in-state prospects close to his chest. Apart from McKeogh, safety Joey O’Brien is also visiting, and it will be big.

Joey O’Brien is the fifth-ranked safety in the country and has an incredible 98 rating on 247 Sports. A native of Pennsylvania, this weekend will be crucial for Marcus Freeman to lock his commitment and beat Penn State, which is currently trailing massively behind Notre Dame. That being said, the wide receiver commitments will be paramount for Notre Dame this weekend. Since the program is trying to change its reputation in terms of wide receiver recruitment. But also, the 2026 class has just two recruits, with just one being a 4-star prospect. The question is: Can Marcus Freeman finally seal at least four to five commitments from the nine visiting this weekend?