Jevaughn Codlin emerges as key recruiter for Notre Dame football

The “analyst” position at Notre Dame is more empowered than ever. Prior to the summer of 2024, analysts were not allowed to provide on-field instruction and mostly assisted by watching film and offering expertise in creating game day strategy.

But for the past year, analysts, quality control coaches, and others can “coach,” and at Notre Dame specifically, analysts are more involved with recruiting than ever. Blue & Gold has observed a shift in how involved the analysts are with prospects, with several of them hitting the road during the spring evaluation period as well.

In February, Notre Dame hired Jevaughn Codlin away from West Virginia in an analyst role, and he has hit the ground running. His title is “analyst, assistant defensive line coach,” and Blue & Gold has observed him working with the D-line during practice. On the recruiting trail, though, he’s very active with defensive backs — the position in which he has a background.

As a recruiter, Codlin has received extremely strong reviews with his efforts in both the 2026 and 2027 classes.

In late April, Notre Dame pulled off an upset by going into Florida and beating out LSU, Michigan, and other Sunshine State powers to land four-star defensive back Ayden Pouncey.

“J Cod is like a big brother to me and a mentor,” Pouncey told Blue & Gold. “He was probably one of the main people who helped get me on campus at first, so without him, I don’t know if I ever would’ve given Notre Dame a chance.”

With Codlin’s impact on the Irish landing Pouncey, hiring him has already paid off. But a handful of other prospects also raved about Codlin, including other Irish commits.

“Coach Cod brings the juice!” Knoxville (Tenn.) Catholic cornerback Chaston Smith said. “He always communicates with me and my family. I can call Coach Cod anytime.”

“Man, that’s my dog!” Charlotte (N.C.) Independence safety Nick Reddish said. “He’s the most down-to-earth and genuine person you can ever meet. He knows a lot of ball while also balancing it with being funny and relatable.”

“That’s my dog,” Towson (Md.) Loyola Blakefield cornerback Khary Adams said. “He always has high energy — great guy.”

Codlin may have even more of an impact on the 2027 class since he’s been recruiting that cycle since before Pot of Gold Day. Blue & Gold reached out to a handful of notable 2027 targets, who also raved about the member of the Our Coaching Network 30 Under 30 list.

Cincinnati Anderson CB Ashton Alston: “I’ve established a great relationship with Coach J Cod. I first met him while he was at West Virginia. He’s very personable and relatable, and you can tell he has a passion for the players and their development. He’s someone I feel I can connect with very well on and off the field.”

Raleigh (N.C.) Cardinal Gibbons CB Xavier Hasan: “J Cod is everything I look for in a coach. He lets you know when you do good and when you do bad; he doesn’t sugarcoat anything. I love hard coaching, and it’s something that I need.”

La Verne (Calif.) Damien S Gavin Williams: “Coach Cod has been great throughout my recruitment. He’s been real with me since Day 1, always checking in and making sure I understand how I’d fit into Notre Dame’s program. You can tell he genuinely cares about his players on and off the field, and that means a lot to me.”

Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas S Zayden Gamble: “Coach Cod has meant a lot to me in my recruitment process because he’s one of the coaches I can call whenever and about whatever. He was the one to offer me at Notre Dame and hasn’t taken his foot off the pedal to get me to Notre Dame.”

Fort Worth (Texas) North Crowley CB Jerry Outhouse: “Coach J Cod is a great man. He always texts or sends me things on Instagram to better my game or quotes that he sees or even funny memes sometimes. We’re building a great relationship, and he lets me know that ND really wants me and needs me to hurry and come visit. I can’t wait to see him again when I come catch a game. He’s a good you want in your corner.”

Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy CB Censere Gaylord: “Coach J Cod is a great coach with so much knowledge of the game.”

The reviews are in: Notre Dame got a good one in Codlin, who makes for quite the one-two punch with Mike Mickens on the recruiting trail.