The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, under the leadership of Head Coach Marcus Freeman, are not only recovering from an 0-2 start with a burgeoning winning streak but are also achieving unprecedented victories off the field that point toward a future dynasty. Freeman’s programmatic genius and dedication to building a special culture are coming to fruition, attracting a level of commitment and loyalty rarely seen in the current era of college football, which is dominated by the transfer portal and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals.
The most recent indicator of this rising momentum is on the recruiting trail for the 2027 class. Notre Dame has emerged as the clear leader for five-star running back Kemon Spell, who recently decommitted from Penn State after the Nittany Lions fired James Franklin. The Irish staff made Spell a priority target, and things have only accelerated since his visit for the USC game. Recruiting predictions from experts such as Steve Wiltfong now overwhelmingly favor Notre Dame to secure his commitment.
However, the truly remarkable and unprecedented moment that highlights the unique culture Freeman has built is the public involvement of a current star player’s family in the recruiting process. Jason Love, the father of superstar running back Jeremiah Love, recently took to social media to publicly pitch Spell to join the program. Jason Love posted, “looks like i will be attending notre dame games for another four years come on young man the decision isn’t hard at all let’s go notre dame.”
This action is considered groundbreaking in college football. After all we are in an era where recruiting is largely focused on securing the biggest NIL check and having the safety net of the transfer portal. Jason Love’s public recruitment of a potential commit has nothing to do with that. In fact, Spell who won’t even be playing with his son if/when he comes to Notre Dame. Jeremiah Love will likely be in the NFL by the time Spell is contributing. Instead, this unprecedented move is an endorsement of the environment Freeman has created. It signifies that players and their families look at the culture and program and genuinely believe that what Marcus Freeman has built is special, and they want other top recruits to experience that same positive environment.
Freeman’s long-term plan began with establishing the foundation: culture. After resetting the atmosphere following the departure of Brian Kelly he built a “grow and develop program.” This model focuses on recruiting talented individuals, then developing them into quality college players and then top-tier NFL prospects. This developmental success is now fueling a breakout at the recruiting level. Notre Dame is recruiting five-star talent at a clip not seen in decades, and their average recruit score is rising, with the Spell prediction being the latest sign that this trend is only accelerating into the 2026 and 2027 classes.
This combination of a powerful, magnetic culture and a successful developmental system is why Freeman is not expected to leave for any other program. He has created something unique that is a perfect marriage with the history and tradition of Notre Dame. The public recruiting efforts of a player’s father, are not side notes; they are critical indicators of the program’s trajectory. They suggest that Freeman has designed a system and a process that is built to sustain long-term success. The Fighting Irish are built to be a consistent playoff team and will be in a strong position to win multiple national titles over the next decade.
Disclaimer: The content of this article was originally published as a YouTube video on the SMI College Football Show YouTube channel. With AI assistance, the publisher of the video created this article based on the content of that video.
