Blue & Gold’s Notre Dame assistant coach recruiter of the year: Mike Mickens

Mike Mickens received this honor from Blue & Gold for his efforts in the 2025 class, as Notre Dame signed six defensive backs, three of whom ranked in the 100-150 overall player range. The other three were three-star recruits — all according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.

As good as that haul was for the sixth-year Irish defensive backs coach, it doesn’t compare — on paper — to what he and the staff pulled off in the 2026 class.

Of the five-man defensive back haul that signed with Notre Dame this morning, two are five-star prospects. Two others are four-star prospects, and the Irish landed one versatile three-star to what is arguably the top defensive back group in the entire country.

Mickens has been a crucial part in making Notre Dame’s secondary go from a weakness to a big strength over the past few years. His development is a key part of that (especially with getting young players ready to play as soon as possible), and the caliber of recruits he’s getting to South Bend has been improving year over year.

The Irish signed Towson (Md.) Loyola Blakefield’s Khary Adams, the No. 26 overall player and No. 1 cornerback in the country according to the 2026 Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services. Adams is a natural lockdown cornerback with tremendous ball skills and size.

Versatility is the name of the game with this defensive back class. Adams is a pure cover corner, while Wyndmoor (Pa.) La Salle College’s Joey O’Brien could play cornerback, safety or even wide receiver at a high level at the next level. O’Brien is the No. 31 overall prospect and No. 3 safety nationally.

Winter Park (Fla.) High’s Ayden Pouncey is another big-time athlete who could play safety or cornerback. Notre Dame plans to bring both O’Brien and Pouncey in and figure out their best fit after working with them. Pouncey is the No. 76 prospect and No. 8 safety nationally.

Mickens also led the Irish to sign Knoxville (Tenn.) Catholic’s Chaston Smith, the No. 236 prospect and No. 27 cornerback nationally. Per Rivals’ own rankings, he’s the No. 15 corner in America. Versatile safety Nick Reddish from Charlotte (N.C.) Independence is the three-star of the group as the No. 776 prospect and No. 71 safety in the land, but he’s a highly productive, instinctive player.

Notre Dame won highly competitive recruitments for each player as well. Adams and O’Brien closely considered Oregon and Penn State before their Irish commitments. Other programs wanted to flip them away from ND, but they never wavered.

Pouncey has strong family ties to Florida (his two older brothers and two cousins played there) and grew up a fan of Miami and LSU. But he picked the Irish. It was a surprise when Smith committed to Notre Dame over Clemson and Texas A&M, and Reddish picked the Irish over Virginia Tech, where his two brothers play at.

Tip of the cap to Mickens for one of the best defensive back classes you’ll see.

What the recruits are saying about Mickens

Reddish: “He’s been involved in my recruiting process forever. Even after I got injured [as a junior], he stuck with me and told me that God has a plan for me.”

Adams: “I have great trust in him. He is laid back, and he has a cool personality, but he can turn up when he gets on the field. I want to be developed, and Coach Mickens is one of the best in the country at that. He will play freshmen, he will push his guys, and he is a coach I want to play for.”

Pouncey: “Coach Mickens is proven. He’s the best defensive backs coach in the country. I asked his former and current players questions, and they told me he’s teaching them things they’d never learned before. Devonta Smith transferred from Alabama and learned a ton under Coach Mickens. And you can talk to Coach Mickens about life; he’s a great person and mentor.”

O’Brien: “When he was a player, he was really like that. I hear stories about him all the time — how he’d lock everyone up on the team. It’s good to play for a coach who you know was really good.”

Smith: “I really like how Coach Mickens keeps it real with me and shows me all of my opportunities. He’s coached some great defensive backs in the past, and I wanted to be a part of the tradition of DBs he’s coached.”

Past Blue & Gold assistant coach recruiter of the years

2025 class: Mickens (signed Mark Zackery, Dallas Golden, JaDon Blair, Brandon Logan, Cree Thomas and Ethan Long)

2024: RB coach Deland McCullough (signed Kedren Young and Aneyas Williams)

2023: WR coach Chansi Stuckey (signed Rico Flores Jr., Jaden Greathouse, Braylon James and KK Smith