Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are eager to rebound after their loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game. The program is looking to build momentum with an impressive season ahead, bolstered by a 2025 recruiting class that 247Sports currently ranks at No. 12 nationally. In addition, the Fighting Irish have secured a robust 2026 incoming class, which is ranked as the No. 9 class in the country.
On Saturday evening, a four-star wide receiver recruit made his decision, and this decision made the majority of the people who have had him on their watchlist devastated. He announced his decision to join Dabo Swinney’s Clemson program, opting for the Tigers over offers from Notre Dame and Penn State. Salmin, a 6-foot-1 receiver from The Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, is ranked as the No. 5 player in Maryland and the No. 19 wide receiver in the nation, according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.
However, Notre Dame was unable to land one of its top wide receiver prospects for the 2026 class.
While his commitment was a disappointment for the Fighting Irish, it comes amid a wave of other promising wide receiver talent expected to arrive in South Bend before the 2025 season.
Despite missing out on Salmin, Freeman remains optimistic about his team’s prospects. The 2025 recruiting class already includes three wide receiver recruits, among them four-star prospects Antavious Richardson and Elijah Burress. Notre Dame has also strengthened its receiving corps through the transfer portal, bringing in Virginia’s Malachi Fields and Wisconsin’s Will Pauling.
Reflecting on his team’s performance last season, Freeman noted, “Our wideouts are playing at a high level. They’re doing a much better job in terms of blocking on the perimeter. Stats are stats.
What I’m looking for is wins.” The Fighting Irish are set to kick off the 2025 college football season with a highly anticipated matchup against the Miami Hurricanes on August 31.
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