Notre Dame football: Biggest remaining recruiting targets for 2024

Notre Dame has been on a hot streak of landing commitments for their 2024 recruiting class of late, now sitting at a 18-player class.  That is one of the highest numbers nationally but if you follow Notre Dame recruiting you know it’s all about building it up early and holding on to close things out.

That’s essentially to say, you won’t see Notre Dame climb the team rankings on national signing day usually.  They might add a player or two late but the majority of their commitments come long before late-December.

So with 18 players committed and assuming all 18 remain that way (not fair to expect but how else do we do this exercise?) then who are the key remaining targets for Notre Dame in 2024?

Landing the majority of these six dream recruits would take Notre Dame’s class from how it stands now as pretty good, to instead being great.

Kaleb Beasley - Cornerback, Lipcomb Academy (Tennessee)

Beasley is one of those “just how committed are you?” guys.  He’s been a verbal commitment to Tennessee for some time but was on Notre Dame’s campus for a visit this spring and plans to return this fall.  He’s also going to be visiting Oklahoma later in June.  Notre Dame has a pair of cornerbacks already committed in the 2024 class and Beasley potentially landing with the Irish would be nice but doesn’t come with the same level of need as some of the others.

Brauntae Johnson - Athlete/Safety, North Side HIgh School (Indiana)

Johnson won’t be the only player on this list with a local connection and that certainly plays into why Notre Dame needs to finish the job with him.  Listed by recruiting outlets as an athlete, Johnson is being recruited as a safety by Notre Dame.  His lengthy build may remind Notre Dame fans of another recent Irish safety.  Purdue, Cincinnati, Michigan State, and Tennessee also remain players for his talents.

Guerby Lambert - Offensive Tackle, Catholic Memorial (Massachusetts)

This mountain of a young man stands 6-6, checks in at 280-pounds, and would certainly have a great chance to carry on Notre Dame’s legacy of developing big-time offensive line talent.  Notre Dame will have to beat out hometown Boston College as well as Ohio State and Penn State for his potential pledge but if they do they’ll add a top-50 overall prospect to their offensive line.

Kyngstonn Vilamu-Asa - Linebacker, St. John Bosco (California)

Notre Dame may have 18 commitments in the 2024 recruiting class but only one of them is from a linebacker (three-star Bodie Kahoun).  Vilamu-Asa had an injury cost him his sophomore year of high school football but that hasn’t scared the biggest names in college football away.  The Irish would get their top linebacker priority, one that figures to be able to play every down in college, if they’re able to beat out finalists Ohio State and USC.

Elijah Rushing - Edge, Salpointe Catholic (Arizona)

Notre Dame is in the running for Rushing as the star edge defender will be on campus in early June.  Notre Dame has a place at the table but there appears to be a lot of work to do here. Hometown Arizona is among the contenders as is Oregon, UCLA, and Tennessee.

Some make it seem that it’s between Notre Dame and Oregon- which brings in fears of losing out to NIL but in order to hit a home run you have to swing, right?  Notre Dame’s defensive line needs help in a big way and Rushing may end up being the best pass-rusher in this cycle.

Justin Scott - Defensive Line (Interior), St. Ignatious (Illinois)

Not only is Justin Scott a five-star prospect from a Catholic league program in Chicago, but he also plays a position of extreme need for Notre Dame.

Talk about checking all the possible boxes – this young man may be the best interior defensive line prospect in the nation for 2024.  It’s no wonder the biggest the names are after him.

The Irish nearly had a commitment from him over the winter but he pushed that back.  Now the Irish will have to beat out Miami, Ohio State, Michigan, and Georgia for the almost certain difference maker.

No matter what Notre Dame ends up in this recruiting cycle, if Scott isn’t ultimately a part of it then it will feel a bit empty.

Story originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire