Recruiting dead period?
In name, per NCAA rules until July 31 — absolutely when it comes to certain football recruiting activities and functions.
Where Notre Dame and Irish head football coach Marcus Freeman are concerned? Potentially quite the opposite.
On Sunday afternoon, a fifth Irish recruiting target in the 2026 class put the conclusion of his recruiting timeline on the July calendar, when Florida four-star defensive tackle Elijah Golden confirmed a decision date of July 26.
The 6-foot-4, 270-pound defensive tackle from Sarasota Cardinal Mooney will choose from among four finalists — ND, Alabama, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma. The nation’s No. 22 defensive tackle in the class, per Rivals, took an official visit to each of the four since May 30, with the most recent coming June 20 to Notre Dame.
It was the fifth recruiting visit to South Bend for Golden, starting with an Irish summer camp appearance on June 14, 2023.
“I’ve been there so many times, so I’ve already learned a lot,” Golden told Inside ND Sports’ Tyler James post-visit. “I just learned more about what they can do for me as a program.”
Including how defensive line coach Al Washington could influence his career arc.
“He has developed a lot of players who have been there, a lot of players that I’ve seen, and he’s developed them into great football players,” Golden said. “He can make me into a great football player and a man off the field.”
The four other Irish targets with previously scheduled July commitments are all perceived Notre Dame leans and all come chronologically sooner than Golden’s. The Irish currently have 22 players committed in the 2026 recruiting cycle.
The first of three four-star wide receivers the Irish are looking to add, Kaydon Finley, kicks off the commitment announcements on Friday, followed by Devin Fitzgerald on Saturday and Brayden Robinson next Sunday, July 6.
Three-star safety Nick Reddish follows on July 11, as defensive backs coach Mike Mickens looks to add to his historic DBs haul.
Washington/Freeman have landed three four-star defensive linemen in the 2026 cycle already — and defensive end commits Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade were on campus the weekend of June 20 to help convince Golden to join them in the class.
ND’s other D-line commit, four-star interior defensive lineman Tiki Hola, verbally committed on May 10 and later took an official visit to ND on June 13.
Twenty-nine of Golden’s 61 tackles were made behind the line of scrimmage last season — his first at Cardinal Mooney. That includes 10 sacks. He also had eight QB hurries and a pass breakup in 11 games for head coach Jared Clark, a Notre Dame alum and former reserve QB and tight end for the Irish.
Golden played at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy as a sophomore in 2023 after the family moved from Virginia. He played his freshman season at King George (Va.) High.
Notre Dame sits at No. 4 in the latest Rivals team recruiting rankings after securing six commitments in the 2026 class since June 18, the latest coming Thursday from four-star tight end Ian Premer. The Irish also got their first 2027 commitment last week, from long snapper Sean Kraft.
