Getty

Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Notre Dame Stadium on September 13, 2025 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are expected to be one of the top teams in college football during the 2026 season.

Last year, Notre Dame struggled to begin the season and was unable to overcome those struggles late in the year. Despite finishing the season on a 10-game winning streak, the Fighting Irish were not selected to make the College Football Playoff.

Following the decision to not include Notre Dame in the playoff, Freeman and company made the decision to pass on playing in a bowl game.

Just two short years ago, Freeman led the Fighting Irish to the National Championship Game. Unfortunately, his team came up just short against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Notre Dame is close to winning it all.

That being said, the Fighting Irish and Freeman have received some huge recruiting news on Wednesday.

Notre Dame, Marcus Freeman Land 2027 Safety Target

According to a report from Hayes Fawcett of Rivals, Notre Dame has landed a commitment from 2027 safety target John Gay.

“BREAKING: Class of 2027 Safety John Gay has Committed to Notre Dame, he tells me for @Rivals,” Fawcett wrote on X. “The 6’1 185 S from Miami, FL chose the Fighting Irish over Ole Miss and Florida.”

Fawcett also shared a short message from Gay himself about committing to the Fighting Irish.

“FLORIDA DAME, I’M HOME,” he said.

Who Is Newest Notre Dame Commit John Gay?

Hailing from Hollywood, Florida, Gay is ranked as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports. He was heavily recruited by quite a few high-profile programs.

As mentioned by Fawcett, the Florida Gators and Ole Miss Rebels were two of the teams competing for his commitment. Outside of those two programs, a few other schools who had interest in Gay were Virginia Tech, Auburn, Iowa, and Louisville.

247 Sports currently has Gay ranked as the No. 63 overall safety in the 2027 recruiting class. He is also ranked as the No. 812 overall player in the nation.

No one knows what the future holds or what kind of player Gay will turn into. However, it is clear that Freeman and Notre Dame were hot on his recruiting trail.

With quite a few big programs having interest in him, the hope is high that Gay will develop into being a high-profile player for the Fighting Irish defense in the future.