Chicagoland DL Joseph Reiff commits to Notre Dame football
Notre Dame may have fallen on the field Saturday night, but the Fighting Irish are on a roll on the recruiting front.
Elmhurst (Ill.) York Community class of 2025 defensive lineman Joseph Reiff has announced his commitment to Notre Dame. With Reiff in the fold, the Irish have earned five new commitments since Sept. 18 and three since Saturday.
Reiff, who stands at a reported 6-5, 230 pounds, visited Notre Dame over the weekend for the Ohio State game. It was his third time on campus, as he also made his way to South Bend at the end of July for the staff’s “Grill and Chill” recruiting event and participated in a prospect camp June 20, which is when he earned his offer from Notre Dame.
It’s Blue & Gold’s understanding that Reiff informed the Irish staff Saturday of his decision to commit, and he announced it this evening.
“It was a little bit surreal for me and my immediate family,” Reiff previously told Blue & Gold regarding his scholarship offer from Notre Dame. “It was an incredible blessing.”
In the past couple months, Reiff has had a handful of conversations with the Notre Dame coaching staff, primarily defensive line coach Al Washington.
“It’s been FaceTimes, texts,” he said Sept. 1 of his communication with the Irish. “I’ve been getting good luck (messages). After their win against Navy, Coach Washington texted me all fired up. (He said,) ‘Let’s go. We were dominant out there.’”
Reiff also holds offers from likes of Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue, Louisville and Cincinnati. Iowa was the first school to offer him back on May 18.
Through for games of his junior season, Reiff has 16 stops (6 tackles for loss), 3.5 sacks, 1 pass break up, 1 fumble recovery and 6 quarterback hurries.
“He’s an athletic kid for his size,” York Community head coach Mike Fitzgerald said of Reiff. “I think that’s really what these schools like about him. There is so much versatility to him, and his body is not done growing. They know he’s going to be a great player somewhere, and he has a lot of flexibility.
“Whether it’s a 3-technique with his hand in the ground or more of being a rush-end type guy. Some of that is still to be determined and depends on the defense the school runs as well.”
Reiff ranks as the nation’s No. 391 overall player and No. 40 defensive lineman according to the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking. On3’s own rankings list him as a three-star player and No. 39 defensive lineman in America.
Reiff becomes Notre Dame’s sixth commitment in the 2025 class thus far and third defensive lineman, joining Miami Palmetto’s Davion Dixon and Highland Home (Ala.) High’s CJ May. The first five pledges are all from the South (Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and two from Florida), and now, the Irish have a commit from the Midwest.
“Obviously, everyone knows the prestige of Notre Dame,” Fitzgerald added. “And when you say Notre Dame football, it’s a brand name. I think [Reiff] was definitely over the moon about that one and excited. (Notre Dame) has a great academic reputation. Academics are important to him and being set up for life.”
His father, Joseph, played on the defensive line collegiately for the Northwestern Wildcats.
