Meet the Notre Dame Fighting Irish class of 2024 commitments
Get to know the class of 2024 prospects committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in this feature from BlueandGold.com.
We have provided background info on each of the commits below (in chronological order from the newest pledge to the oldest), and will continue to update this article each time Notre Dame lands a new commitment.
Charlotte (N.C.) Christian wide receiver Micah Gilbert
Height: 6-2
Weight: 205
Commitment date: May 2, 2023
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 224 NATL, No. 37 OT and No. 4 player from North Carolina.
Gilbert picked up an offer from Notre Dame in mid-February, connected well with the staff, visited for the Blue-Gold Game and the rest is history. It wasn’t a complicated recruiting win for the Irish; Gilbert is a prospect who quickly found everything he was looking for in a college. He picked the Irish over Duke, Michigan, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, South Carolina and Virginia Tech — the programs that made his final cut along with Notre Dame.
Gilbert hauled in 39 passes for 486 yards and six touchdowns in seven games as a junior in 2022. However, a finger injury cut his season short. Still, he earned first-team all-conference Charlotte Independent School Athletic Association (CISAA) accolades for his performance during the first seven games.
Chandler (Ariz.) High safety Kennedy Urlacher
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
Commitment date: May 1, 2023
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 567 NATL, No. 57 S and No. 12 player from Arizona.
Notre Dame’s first safety commitment in the 2024 class came from Urlacher, who is the son of NFL Hall of Famer and Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher. Urlacher picked up an offer from Notre Dame Jan. 23 and quickly set up a campus visit for the weekend of April 15. The 6-1, 180-pounder loved his experience in South Bend, and a couple weeks afterwards announced a top-six schools list of Illinois, Kansas State, Miami, Notre Dame, Penn State and TCU with a commitment date of May 1. He picked the Irish.
During his junior season at Chandler — a top program in Arizona — Urlacher had 34 tackles (1 for loss), 1 interception, 2 passes broken up, 1 fumble recovery returned for a score and 1 blocked field goal. Urlacher was named to the 2022 Sports360AZ All-Academic Football Team for Division 6A with a 4.0 weighted grade-point average.
Charlotte (N.C.) Christian EDGE Bryce Young
Height: 6-6
Weight: 245
Commitment date: April 29, 2023
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 317 NATL, No. 21 EDGE and No. 10 player from North Carolina.
Notre Dame was the first school to offer Young after seeing him perform in its prospect camp last June, and the Irish were in hot pursuit of his commitment. He visited for the Blue-Gold Game, committed to the staff while on campus and announced it publicly a week later. His father is former Notre Dame defensive lineman Bryant Young, an Irish legend who was inducted in the NFL Hall of Fame in 2022. Young was never a lock to follow in his father’s footsteps, but it was still the Irish in the end.
During his junior season in which he helped lead the Knights to a 10-3 record, Young recorded 92 stops, 6.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, 11 quarterback hurries, 1 pass break up and 2 forced fumbles. Young also runs track and has a personal-best time of 11.45 in the 100-meter race.
Warner Robins (Ga.) High wide receiver Isiah Canion
Height: 6-3
Weight: 190
Commitment date: April 27, 2023
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 296 NATL, No. 49 WR and No. 38 player from Georgia.
Canion visited Notre Dame during the first weekend of March and picked up his scholarship offer while on campus. He returned to South Bend for the Blue-Gold Game, and that’s when he knew he wanted to pick Notre Dame for his college career. The four-star pass catcher picked the Irish over Florida State, Indiana, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State and others. He built a tight relationship with position coach Chansi Stuckey, who is also a Warner Robins, Ga. native.
Canion played some quarterback during his junior season in helping lead Warner Robins to a 10-5 record, completing 42 of 61 passes for 584 yards with 5 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also added a rushing score and 32 yards. As a receiver, Canion hauled in 26 passes for 395 yards and 5 touchdowns. He was named to the Georgia Region 2-5A second-team offense for his efforts in 2022.
Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek EDGE Cole Mullins
Height: 6-4
Weight: 240
Commitment date: April 22, 2023
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 589 NATL, No. 65 and No. 72 player from Georgia.
Mullins listed as a linebacker but is expected to be a defensive end for the Irish. He visited Notre Dame for the first time in mid-April, and it went so well that he knew South Bend was home for him. Mullins also closely considered Duke and Wake Forest and also held offers from the likes of USC, Miami, North Carolina, Stanford, Northwestern and West Virginia.
Mullins posted 58 stops, 10 tackles for loss, 6 sacks and 2 pass break ups during his junior season. His father, Pat, played quarterback at Utah State in the mid 1990s. He completed 287 of 517 passes for 3,759 yards with 19 touchdowns and 25 interceptions in two seasons. His mother, Suzette, ran track at Utah State.
Roswell (Ga.) High offensive lineman Anthonie Knapp
Height: 6-4
Weight: 265
Commitment date: March 29, 2023
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 538 NATL, No. 33 OT and No. 61 player from Georgia.
It didn’t take long for Knapp to go from a recruit without an Irish offer to being on the Notre Dame commitment list. He picked up an offer from the Irish March 24 during a campus visit, and just five days later, Knapp announced his pledge to the Fighting Irish. Penn State, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Duke, Missouri and Louisville were among his other scholarship offers.
As a sophomore in 2021, Knapp was named to the Georgia Region 5-7A All-Region football first-team offense. Knapp, who was a team captain as a junior, reports that he totaled 81 knockdowns during his 2022 season. He was listed on the Georgia Region 5-6A All-Region football first-team offense. Knapp also made it to the 2022 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Fulton County first-team offense.
Round Rock (Texas) High cornerback Leonard Moore
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175
Commitment date: February 4, 2023
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 394 NATL, No. 41 RB and No. 71 player from Texas.
On Jan. 18, Moore picked up an offer from Notre Dame, and 11 days later, he was on Notre Dame’s campus to meet with the coaching staff and get a look at campus with his family. Moore announced Feb. 4 — just six days after the visit — that he would be committing to Notre Dame. Moore’s quick decision to Notre Dame showed that he “gets” Notre Dame.
During his junior season, Moore posted 31 tackles, 3 interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 4 pass break ups and 2 forced fumbles. Moore reports that in 232 coverage snaps this past fall, he was targeted just 18 times and allowed 3 receptions. He also returned one punt return for a score. Moore was a unanimous selection for the 2022 Texas District 25-6A first-team defense. As a sophomore in 2021, Moore had 40 tackles, 1.0 for loss, 4 interceptions and 11 pass break ups. He was named the 2021 Texas District 25-6A Defensive Newcomer of the Year.
Hannibal (Mo.) High running back Aneyas Williams
Height: 5-10
Weight: 195
Commitment date: December 16, 2022
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 140 NATL, No. 13 RB and No. 4 player from Missouri.
Williams picked up an offer from Notre Dame June 5 while on campus for the Irish Invasion camp, as he showed out in front of position coach Deland McCullough and Co. It was around that time that he saw his recruitment explode, landing offers from the likes of Alabama, Michigan State, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida and Ohio State. He visited Notre Dame twice in November — leading to his commitment — as Williams felt that the Fighting Irish football program was the place for him to be.
His junior season was fantastic, posting 1,999 all-purpose yards and 34 touchdowns in just 9 games. He earned Class 4 first-team all-state honors. Through three seasons of high school ball, Williams has accounted for 6,035 all-purpose yards and 102 touchdowns.
Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller cornerback Karson Hobbs
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
Commitment date: November 9, 2022
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 637 NATL, No. 62 CB and No. 24 player from Ohio.
Hobbs committed to South Carolina in July of 2022 and was content with that pledge but knew in the back of his mind that if Notre Dame offered him, it’d be tough for him to turn that down. He had even said that the Fighting Irish were the only program he’d look at besides the Gamecocks. Hobbs grew up a diehard Notre Dame fan and wasn’t afraid to admit that despite being committed to South Carolina. He visited Notre Dame for the Clemson game, and a couple days later, Hobbs announced his decommitment from the Gamecocks. The following morning, he committed to Notre Dame.
Hobbs was named to the 2022 Ohio All-Greater Catholic League-South second-team defense. Across 10 games of his junior season, Hobbs has recorded 19 tackles, 6 pass deflections and 1 interception. Hobbs participates in the 100 meter, long jump and 4×100 relay in track & field. It’s been reported that he ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at Kentucky’s prospect camp over the summer.
Malvern (Pa.) Prep offensive lineman Peter Jones
Height: 6-5
Weight: 285
Commitment date: August 7, 2022
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 245 NATL, No. 18 IOL and No. 4 player from Pennsylvania.
Jones intended on stretching his recruitment well into the fall of his junior season, but after a visit to Notre Dame in late July, he knew where he wanted to play his college football and didn’t want to wait any longer. He’s in a family full of Penn State fans and graduates, but the Notre Dame’s offensive line history and academic prestige was too strong of a draw for Jones to turn down. He picked the Irish over the Nittany Lions and also held offers from the likes of Michigan, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Stanford and Texas A&M.
The four-star recruit helped pave the way for Malvern Prep to run for 1,608 yards and 28 touchdowns in 10 games in 2022. Jones was named to the 2021 Inter-Academic League second-team offense and first-team offense in 2022.
Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard South wide receiver Cam Williams
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190
Commitment date: June 29, 2022
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 39 NATL, No. 7 WR and No. 2 player from Illinois.
Notre Dame is landing a big-time talent at a position of need, but the fact that Williams grew up a Michigan fan and is now switching his allegiance to the Fighting Irish only makes this commitment sweeter for his new school’s fans. Cincinnati, Iowa and Wisconsin were also on Williams’ short list before announcing his pledge to the Irish.
Williams had a productive nine-game junior season, helping lead the Raiders to a 7-3 record. He caught 44 passes for 882 yards and 14 total touchdowns. He’s also a track star, as he reached the 2022 Illinois Class 2A State Track Meet in the long jump, the high jump, and the 100-meter and 200-meter races. He was named all-state in the long jump and 200-meter race. Williams also earned 2021 and 2022 Illinois High School Football Coaches Association All-State Academic team honors.
Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic tight end Jack Larsen
Height: 6-3
Weight: 212
Commitment date: June 24, 2022
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 176 NATL, No. 7 TE and No. 4 player from North Carolina.
Larsen visited Notre Dame on four occasions before making his Irish commitment over Alabama, Clemson, Michigan and others. He performed at a camp last July and returned in October to watch the Irish knock off his home-state North Carolina Tar Heels. He made it back to campus April 12 — a few weeks after he received the Notre Dame scholarship offer — and made visit No. 4 during the first weekend of June.
Larsen was named to the 2021 North Carolina Southwestern 4A all-conference team. He caught six touchdowns as a freshman, helping lead Charlotte Catholic to a North Carolina 3A state championship victory. Larsen caught 37 passes for 686 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior. Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Mark Harrell (2012-16) played his prep ball at Charlotte Catholic and is currently on the Cougars’ coaching staff.
Saline (Mich.) High quarterback CJ Carr
Height: 6-2.5
Weight: 195
Commitment date: June 9, 2022
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 33 NATL, No. 5 QB and No. 1 player from Michigan.
Landing Carr was and still is a big recruiting win for the Irish landing such an elite talent at the all-important quarterback position, and they beat out Michigan — the program at which his father and two grandfathers starred — for him. In addition to Notre Dame and the Wolverines, Georgia, LSU, Michigan State and Wisconsin rounded out Carr’s finalists.
Carr is the grandson of legendary Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, who guided the program from 1995-2007, compiled a 122-40 record, and won the 1997 national championship. Carr’s maternal grandfather is Tom Curtis, a former All-American and College Football Hall of Fame Michigan safety. Jason Carr, Lloyd’s son and CJ’s father, was a quarterback at Michigan in the 1990s. His mother, Tammi, also graduated from Michigan.
Carr completed 222 of 326 passes (68.1 percent) for 2,685 yards with 26 touchdowns and 5 interceptions during his junior season. He also added 70 rushes for 221 yards and 7 scores. He was named to the Detroit Free Press Division 1 all-state first-team and the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Dream Team for his efforts in 2022.
Carr was named to the 2021 Associated Press Michigan Division 1-2 first-team offense. He was also listed on the 2021 Michigan Division 1 Region 2 first team. Carr has been invited to play in the 2024 All-American Bowl and Under Armour All-American Game.
Princeton (N.J.) The Hun School defensive lineman Owen Wafle
Height: 6-2
Weight: 267
Commitment date: May 16, 2022
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 288 NATL, No. 24 DL and No. 5 player from New Jersey.
Wafle picked up his offer from Notre Dame on St. Partick’s Day for the staff’s “Pot of Gold” recruiting initiative, and it was at that point that the Fighting Irish became the clear leader for him. It was just a matter of how the commitment would come together, and it did a couple months later. Between the education, relationship with the coaches and history of Notre Dame, Wafle found his college home in South Bend.
In nine games as a sophomore, Wafle posted 47 total tackles (5.0 for loss), 1 sack, 4 quarterback hurries, 1 fumble recovery and 1 forced fumble. He was named to the 2021 Mid Atlantic Prep League first-team defense. During his junior season, he posted 64 tackles (24.0 for loss), 10 sacks, 7 quarterback hurries, 1 fumble recovery and 3 forced fumbles.
