SOUTH BEND — All the heavy lifting for Notre Dame football and a top-10 recruiting class was completed well ahead of Wednesday’s National Signing Day.
In fact, 15 of the 23 high school seniors to sign their national letters of intent with Notre Dame on Dec. 20 were already in town as midyear enrollees by mid-January.
“Everything is happening earlier,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said on an in-house podcast taped on Dec. 20. “When I was getting recruited (as an Ohio State linebacker in the Class of 2004), the majority of guys committed on signing day or close to it. It was a big day.”
Analysis:Unpacking Notre Dame football’s 2024 recruiting class – and how good it can be
Although Notre Dame has added (running back Gi’Bran Payne) and subtracted (defensive back Brandyn Hillman) from their past two signing classes after the start of spring practice, no such drama appears on the horizon in the 2024 signing cycle.
More:Grading Notre Dame football 2024 recruiting class: How did the Irish fare?
“You’re offering kids earlier, they’re committing earlier, you’re evaluating earlier,” Freeman said on the December podcast. “Which can be a double-edged sword. We can’t crown a kid too early, and you can’t dismiss a kid too early. A lot of kids we offer are 15- and 16-year-olds.”
2024 Notre Dame football official signees
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
Position: Linebacker | Hometown: Bellflower, Calif. (St. John Bosco)
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 233 pounds
247Sports Composite: Four stars; national ranking: 41; position ranking: 4
Status: Signed
Logan Saldate
Position: Wide receiver | Hometown: Salinas, Calif. (Palma)
Vitals: 5-foot-11, 185 pounds
247Sports Composite: Four stars; national ranking: 405; position ranking: 62
Status: Signed
Kennedy Urlacher
Position: Safety | Hometown: Chandler, Ariz. (Chandler High)
Vitals: 5-foot-11, 193 pounds
247Sports Composite: Three stars; national ranking: 641; position ranking: 61
Status: Signed
Aneyas Williams
Position: Running back | Hometown: Hannibal, Mo. (Hannibal High)
Vitals: 5-foot-10, 207 pounds
247Sports Composite: Four stars; national ranking: 289; position ranking: 19
Status: Signed
Teddy Rezac
Position: Linebacker | Hometown: Omaha, Neb. (Westside)
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 195 pounds
247Sports Composite: Three stars; national ranking: 705; position ranking: 52
Status: Signed
Leonard Moore
Position: Cornerback | Hometown: Round Rock, Texas (Round Rock High)
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 177 pounds
247Sports Composite: Three stars; national ranking: 426; position ranking: 39
Status: Signed
Cam Williams
Position: Wide receiver | Hometown: Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Glenbard South)
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 191 pounds
247Sports Composite: Four stars; national ranking: 47; position ranking: 12
Status: Signed
Kedren Young
Position: Running back | Hometown: Lufkin, Texas (Lufkin High)
Vitals: 6-foot, 217 pounds
247Sports Composite: Four stars; national ranking: 118; position ranking: 10
Status: Signed
Brauntae Johnson
Position: Safety | Hometown: Fort Wayne, Ind. (North Side)
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 170 pounds
247Sports Composite: Four stars; national ranking: 196; position ranking: 15
Status: Signed
Styles Prescod
Position: Offensive tackle | Hometown: Fishers, Ind. (Hamilton Southeastern)
Vitals: 6-foot-6, 273 pounds
247Sports Composite: Four stars; national ranking: 361; position ranking: 30
Status: Signed
Micah Gilbert
Position: Wide receiver | Hometown: Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Christian)
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 206 pounds
247Sports Composite: Four stars; national ranking: 243; position ranking: 41
Status: Signed
Karson Hobbs
Position: Cornerback | Hometown: Cincinnati (Archbishop Moeller)
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds
247Sports Composite: Three stars; national ranking: 630; position ranking: 57
Status: Signed
Peter Jones
Position: Offensive tackle | Hometown: Malvern, Pa. (Malvern Prep)
Vitals: 6-foot-5, 292 pounds
247Sports Composite: Four stars; national ranking: 445; position ranking: 30
Status: Signed
Loghan Thomas
Position: Edge | Hometown: Lakewood, Ohio ( St. Edward)
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 196 pounds
247Sports Composite: Four stars; national ranking: 216; position ranking: 20
Status: Signed
Jack Larsen
Position: Tight end | Hometown: Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Catholic)
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 233 pounds
247Sports Composite: Three stars; national ranking: 472; position ranking: 29
Status: Signed
Anthonie Knapp
Position: Offensive tackle | Hometown: Roswell, Ga. (Roswell High)
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 266 pounds
247Sports Composite: Four stars; national ranking: 330; position ranking: 26
Status: Signed
Guerby Lambert
Position: Offensive tackle | Hometown: West Roxbury, Mass. (Catholic Memorial)
Vitals: 6-foot-6, 280 pounds
247Sports Composite: Four stars; national ranking: 46; position ranking: 4
Status: Signed
Sean Sevillano Jr.
Position: Defensive lineman | Hometown: Clearwater, Fla. (Clearwater Academy International)
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 339 pounds
247Sports Composite: Three stars; national ranking: 527; position ranking: 63
Status: Signed
Bodie Kahoun
Position: Linebacker | Hometown: Roanoke, Va., (Patrick Henry)
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 214 pounds
247Sports Composite: Three stars; national ranking: 491; position ranking: 44
Status: Signed
Taebron Bennie-Powell
Position: Safety | Hometown: West Chester, Ohio (Lakota West)
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds
247Sports Composite: Three stars; national ranking: 617; position ranking: 41
Status: Signed
Bryce Young
Position: Defensive lineman | Hometown: Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Christian)
Vitals: 6-foot-7, 241 pounds
247Sports Composite: Four stars; national ranking: 73; position ranking: 11
Status: Signed
CJ Carr
Position: Quarterback | Hometown: Saline, Mich. (Saline High)
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 197 pounds
247Sports Composite: Four stars; national ranking: 68; position ranking: 6
Status: Signed
Cole Mullins
Position: Edge | Hometown: Hoschton, Ga. (Mill Creek)
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 239 pounds
247Sports Composite: Three stars; national ranking: 671; position ranking: 44
Status: Signed
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Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for NDInsider.com and is on social media @MikeBerardino.