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Newsstand: Five-star recruit reveals key connection to Notre Dame ahead of first visit

Kyle Kellyby: Kyle Kelly9 hours agoByKyleKelly
Joshua Dobson copy 1.jpg
Fort Mill (S.C.) Catawba Ridge 2027 CB Joshua Dobson. (Chad Simmons/Rivals)

One of the top prospects in the 2027 class is visiting Notre Dame for its marquee matchup against Texas A&M on Saturday, in part due to a key connection. 

In an interview with Rivals director of recruiting Chad Simmons on Thursday, five-star cornerback Joshua Dobson said one of the reasons he is eager to get to campus is because of his relationship with Irish cornerback Nick McCloud.

“I know somebody who’s actually been to Notre Dame and played under them,” Dobson told Simmons. “Nick McCloud — he’s at the Bears right now, starting. He keeps on telling me every day I should go there. So, it’s worth checking out.” 

Dobson and McCloud are both from the same state. Dobson, the No. 1 player in South Carolina and No. 4 overall player nationally in the 2027 class, attends Fort Mill (S.C.) Catawba Ridge. McCloud graduated from Rock Hill (S.C.) South Pointe in 2016. 

Out of high school, McCloud, the No. 14 player in the Palmetto State and No. 68 cornerback nationally, signed with NC State. He spent four seasons with the Wolfpack before transferring to Notre Dame in 2020. McCloud went undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft but has played five years and counting in the pros. 

Dobson projects as one of the top prospects in his class, ranking as the No. 1 cornerback nationally. Thirty-eight Power Four programs have offered the 6-foot-1, 170-pound junior. The Irish extended him a scholarship last St. Patrick’s Day. 

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“I just want to see a great game. Get to talk to all the coaching staff — most of the coaching staff, not all of them. Just building better relationships with (defensive backs) Coach [Mike] Mickens. It will be my second time meeting him in person. So, it will be great.”

— Dobson to Simmons on what he wants to see at Notre Dame. 

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