Notre Dame football is determined to solidify their position among the elites in the sport. There was likely some concern after Brian Kelly abruptly left for LSU in November of 2021. Although they were unable to win a National Championship, they enjoyed consistent prosperity and high-level bowl games.
The Marcus Freeman era, though, is pulling in plenty of star power that could enable the program to stay near the pinnacle of college football. Or maybe even reach it. The Fighting Irish's latest recruiting week is a good start to making that a tangible goal. They landed four-star wide receiver Micah Gilbert, per The Athletic's Pete Sampson.
The big signing comes right after Notre Dame secured commitments from fellow four-star wideout Isiah Canion, four-star defensive end Bryce Young (Gilbert's high school teammate) and three-star safety Kennedy Urlacher, son of Hall of Famer and Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher.
Freeman was thrust into the head coach role late in the 2021-22 season, but has found his footing relatively quickly. After a tough start to last season, the Irish finished strong and earned a Gator Bowl victory over South Carolina. At 6-foot-3, Micah Gilbert gives Notre Dame football a solid red-zone target who has the potential to give cornerbacks headaches. Of course, he is not alone.
The program has compiled a robust receiving corps since WR coach Chansi Stuckey came aboard last year. Ideally, a sometimes stagnant 2022-23 offense will look a lot more dynamic and explosive with all this incoming talent. Obviously, offensive prospects are excited about playing in this system.
It will be up to Freeman and his staff to maximize all of their strengths, so that the Fighting Irish can prove that the only transition era this team is in is the one that catapults them firmly into title contention.
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