Notre Dame’s 2025 Recruiting Class: A Legacy of NFL Greatness

As I tuned into a Notre Dame football game last season, I couldn’t help but feel like I was watching a game in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, not South Bend, Indiana. And it’s not just the Irish’s iconic gold helmets that gave me that feeling. It’s the NFL lineage that runs deep through the team’s 2025 recruiting class.

The home of the Fighting Irish

Currently ranked No. 2 in ESPN’s recruiting class rankings, this year’s class has the potential to be the highest-ranked in a decade. And what’s more, it’s a class that’s steeped in NFL tradition. Take, for example, Ivan Taylor, Elijah Burress, and Jerome Bettis Jr. - all sons of former Pittsburgh Steelers players. In fact, their fathers overlapped on the Steelers’ roster from 2003 to 2004.

“It’s an honor to be part of a legacy that’s bigger than myself.” - Ivan Taylor

This trend of NFL veterans’ sons flocking to South Bend is nothing new. Joining Taylor, Burress, and Bettis in the 2025 recruiting class is James Flanigan, whose father Jim had a nine-year NFL stint. And it’s not just the high school recruits - the Irish roster is already filled with players whose fathers have NFL connections.

A legacy of greatness

Take, for instance, Jordan Clark and R.J. Oben, two graduate transfers whose fathers both spent over a decade in the league. This fall, they’ll join a roster that already boasts an impressive array of NFL connections. Incoming freshmen Kennedy Urlacher and Bryce Young are the sons of Pro Football Hall of Famers Brian Urlacher and Bryant Young. Rocco Spindler’s father Marc played eight seasons in the league, and star defensive back Benjamin Morrison’s father Darryl spent three seasons with the now-Washington Commanders. And let’s not forget stalwart defensive lineman Howard Cross III, who shares his name with his father, a league veteran with over 200 games under his belt for the Giants.

Family ties that bind

As I reflect on Notre Dame’s 2025 recruiting class, I’m reminded of the power of legacy and tradition. It’s not just about the X’s and O’s on the field; it’s about the bonds that tie us together, from father to son, from generation to generation. And for the Irish, that legacy is one of greatness, of excellence, and of a commitment to excellence that transcends the gridiron.

The Fighting Irish spirit