Notre Dame football and Marcus Freeman received a massive endorsement from the Associated Press, which rated the university fifth in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. It was a huge positive for the first-year head coach and the Fighting Irish. Then, Freeman and company snapped back to reality after the news they received on Wednesday. Notre Dame football lost one of their top recruits in the 2023 class, defensive end Keon Keeley, as reported by ESPN.

“Notre Dame lost a commitment from its highest-ranked recruit in the 2023 class, defensive end Keon Keeley, on Wednesday.”

Keon Keeley, a 5-star recruit out of Berkeley, Prep in Tampa, Florida, opted to decommit from the Fighting Irish. It's a huge blow to Marcus Freeman and company, as Keeley was the no. 24 ranked prospect in the entire 2023 class.

Keeley said the following in a statement posted on his Twitter account, “First and foremost, I would like to thank the University of Notre Dame and their tremendous staff for spending the time to recruit me to Notre Dame.”

In addition to Notre Dame football, Keeley had the eye of big programs, such as Alabama, Ohio State and Florida. The Gators would seem to have the in-state edge on the top 2023 recruit, though the Crimson Tide and the Buckeyes have no trouble getting the players they desire.

As for Notre Dame football, Freeman will have to find a way to recover after losing the only 5-star in their 2023 class. Of course, the first-year head coach flexed his muscles on the recruiting trail regardless, reeling in a top-five class.

But make no mistake. This is a big blow.