4-star LB Anthony Sacca commits to Notre Dame: ‘It’s a beautiful place to be’
In the last few weeks, Alabama, Notre Dame and Ohio State rose to the top for Philadelphia (Penn.) St. Joseph’s Prep School four-star linebacker Anthony Sacca. Yet the Fighting Irish were “different.”
Notre Dame consistently recruited Sacca since his freshman year and he built connections with head coach Marcus Freeman, defensive coordinator Al Golden and linebackers coach Max Bullough. Those relationships played a crucial role in the 6-foot-2.5, 225-pound recruit committing to the Fighting Irish on Saturday.
“It’s a beautiful place to be in South Bend,” Sacca told On3. “I really enjoyed my time out there both times I was there. They make you feel welcome. The gameday atmosphere was amazing when they played Ohio State. It was awesome. There’s a certain expectation of who you are as a player and who you are as a person when you’re at Notre Dame.”
Sacca has ‘shut down’ his recruitment after choosing Notre Dame
Sacca realized that he would choose Notre Dame last weekend. The No. 8 player in Pennsylvania felt comfortable around the program and believes the Fighting Irish will set him up for success both on and off the field.
Notre Dame’s academic opportunities greatly stood out to Sacca, as well as the chance to suit up on Saturdays at Notre Dame Stadium. Following his decision, the newest member of the Fighting Irish’s 2025 recruiting class has “shut down” his recruitment and will not take any more visits to other schools.
“If I put my money on it, I’d say with the class that we’re bringing in, the class before us and hopefully the class after us, we could put something together and make a run for the title,” said Sacca, the No. 225 overall prospect and No. 27 linebacker in the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking.
Sacca felt like a priority to Notre Dame’s coaches
Notre Dame’s coaches told Sacca that they see him playing the combo backer position. That will involve the four-star lining up at the line of scrimmage, playing off the ball and playing in pass coverage among other responsibilities.
The Fighting Irish’s coaches were “straight shooters” with Sacca, who appreciated their honesty about where he could improve his game. He has built trust with multiple Notre Dame staff members over the years, including Bullough, Freeman and Golden.
Both Freeman and Golden contacted Sacca either every week or every other week over the phone. The Pennsylvania native believes that Freeman has the Fighting Irish headed in the right direction.
“I think he’s one of the best, if not the best, motivator in college football,” Sacca said. “I feel like it’s very hard not to get behind that guy when you have trust and you have belief in him. As a football team, we rally around coach Freeman.”
Both Bullough and Golden visited Sacca separately at his high school in January. He enjoyed talking with them about Notre Dame’s defense, where he fits in it and how he can excel in the Fighting Irish’s system.
“He knows ball, at the end of the day,” Sacca said about Golden. “You’re not the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame if you don’t know anything about football. He’s very knowledgeable about the game. I believe that. The way he explains things and how he’s broken down certain things for me, I can see his football IQ in person.”