Notre Dame is red hot and showing no signs of cooling off. Marcus Freeman’s recruiting machine rolled on this weekend with yet another major win, locking down four-star running back Javian Osborne out of Forney, Texas. The Lone Star standout had long circled Notre Dame as a top contender, and now he’s in the Irish fold. It’s a splashy commitment and another weapon for the rising offense being built around CJ Carr. But beneath the headline buzz, Freeman’s staff has been quietly working the phones. They’re gearing up for a bold move aimed at flipping a Big Ten commit in the name of securing Carr’s long-term arsenal.

That target? Messiah Mickens, Penn State’s four-star running back commit from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. According to Blue & Gold insider updates, ever since he arrived in South Bend, Notre Dame’s RBs coach and ex-Penn State staffer Ja’Juan Seider has been actively on the hunt. “One guy we haven’t talked about in a couple months is Messiah Mickens from Harrisburg, PA, a Penn State commit who committed to the Nittany Lions with Seider leading him there,” ND’s recruiting insider Mike Singer shared.

“And then Seider comes to Notre Dame, and probably one of his first calls was to Messiah Mickens, and, ‘hey, we’re going to recruit you hard.’” The groundwork was swift. The intention? Even clearer.

Mickens has shut down his recruitment three times—once at his commitment, again in January, and most recently in late March after visiting State College. “But I wrote at Blue & Gold, I just don’t see this being the end of this,” the insider noted. “I mean, like he had already announced in January, hey, I’m shutting down my recruitment. I believe he was looking at like South Carolina. And I mean, he’s announced three times he’s shut it [his] recruitment down between committing and then January, and then at the end of March. I mean, this is a recruiting process. Things change.” That last sentence might be the real key. Recruiting is fluid. Declarations don’t always equal destinations.

Still, Mickens hasn’t been to Notre Dame since March 2023, and as of now, he only has Penn State visits on the calendar. But that hasn’t stopped Seider from keeping the pressure on. His recent home visit with Mickens raised more than a few eyebrows around the recruiting world. And despite Mickens appearing firm on his PSU pledge, the door hasn’t been completely sealed shut. Notre Dame’s approach has been methodical and relentless.

Zooming out, Notre Dame’s ambition isn’t just about stockpiling talent. The Irish are playing a long game, both in recruiting and in branding. Their flirtation with the ACC has become something much more serious, culminating in a 12-year scheduling deal with Clemson that reshapes how fans will view Irish football moving forward.

The ACC may not bring Big Ten or SEC viewership yet, but it remains a “power” conference—so much so that its media rights deal signed in 2012 stretches to 2036 and is worth a staggering $3.6 billion. Notre Dame has experienced the ACC as a full-time member once before, in 2020, and nearly walked away with a conference title. This time, they’re diving back in on their own terms.

Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger broke the news recently, revealing that Notre Dame and Clemson have inked a 12-year annual football scheduling agreement. Combine that with Marcus Freeman’s staff building tight pipelines in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Florida, and you’ve got a blueprint that looks every bit like a modern dynasty in the making. If Notre Dame somehow flips Mickens down the line, it won’t just be a win over Penn State—it’ll be a flex.

CJ Carr the X-Factor? Notre Dame just misses Klatt’s Top 5

Notre Dame fans, don’t panic—you’re still sitting pretty in the top 10. But if you’re wondering why the Irish didn’t crack the top five in Joel Klatt’s Post-Spring Top 25, it all comes down to one big question mark: the quarterback.

Klatt slotted the Fighting Irish at No. 6 during his show on Monday and was pretty clear about the one thing giving him pause: “Big question for me is at quarterback, alright,” Klatt said. And that spotlight is now shining directly on CJ Carr, the highly touted freshman who looks poised to take the reins.

Carr seems to be next in line after Steve Angeli—who backed up Riley Leonard last year—entered the portal and transferred to Syracuse during the spring window. “It looks like CJ Carr is going to be there and starting at quarterback next year after Steve Angeli – backed up Riley Leonard last year – entered the portal, transferred to Syracuse in the spring window.” So now? “CJ Carr? Looks like it’s his deal,” Klatt added.

While the QB situation remains a bit of a mystery, everything else around Carr is built for success. The Irish are expected to bring the thunder with their run game again, and the defense—now under new leadership—should be as nasty as ever. In short, if CJ Carr can hold it down under center.