In the 15 completed recruiting cycles that make up the Brian Kelly/Marcus Freeman Era of Notre Dame football, a total of 46 players have first committed to the Irish before decommitting and signing elsewhere.
None of them brought on more hyperventilating from the media and cataclysmic parallels when doing so than did five-star defensive end Keon Keeley two cycles ago by opting out of his Notre Dame future and signing with Alabama.
And not totally unjustifiably so
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It’s important to keep in mind over time that a perceptual hit can have a short shelf life and, even more significantly, it doesn’t always match up with reality. In fact, it doesn’t more often than not.
Keeley, for instance, is a third of the way through his sophomore year with the Crimson Tide (4-0). And without a sordid injury history, the nation's No. 5 player nationally regardless of position in the 2023 class has amassed just three college snaps and zero career tackles.
With plenty of time to completely alter that dim storyline, mind you.
Of the 46 decommitments in those 15 aforementioned cycles, 18 of those players are still playing college football. Six of the 18 have already switched schools, though one of them transferred back to his original school before logging any playing time in between.
Starters among them are rare. Stars are almost non-existent to date, though Kansas State's Dylan Edwards is among those showing promise of moving in that direction.
Perhaps Deuce Knight, who flipped his commitment to Auburn on Wednesday, and the five other players who have decommitted so far in the 2025 class will be different. Maybe not.
There have been decommitments over the years who have gone on to big things elsewhere, but there have been proportionally many more success stories among the 69 players over those same 15 cycles that flipped their commitments into ND’s class.
Eighteen of those players have gone on to be NFL draftees. In just the draft cycles since 2019, that group comprises JD Bertrand, Audric Estimé, Jarrett Patterson, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Ian Book, Daelin Hayes, Ade Ogundeji, Troy Pride Jr., Khalid Kareem, Drue Tranquill, Dexter Williams and Alizé Mack.
In any event, with 14th-ranked Notre Dame (4-1) enjoying the first of two open dates this season, here’s a breakdown of the 18 Irish decommits, where they are, how they’re faring and how to watch them. Players are listed with the schools they originally flipped to and their positions listed are the ones at which Notre Dame recruit them.
So grab a cheeseburger, and enjoy.
2019 (1)
Cade McNamara, QB, Michigan: Now in his sixth collegiate season and second since transferring from Michigan to Iowa, the former Reno, Nev., high school standout has had a rocky couple of seasons coming into this one.
After being a backup for two years and then starting all 14 games for a Wolverines team in 2021 that lost to Georgia in the College Football Playoff semis (34-11), JJ McCarthy beat McNamara out for the starting job in 2022. Then in game 5 of the 2023 season, his first at Iowa, McNamara suffered a season-ending injury. He was 46-of-90 passing at the time for 505 yards and four TDs with three interceptions.
The unranked Hawkeyes (3-1) face No. 3 Ohio State (4-0) in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday (3:30 p.m.; CBS) as 18-point underdogs. McNamara enters the game 106th nationally in pass efficiency (117.0) out of 125 FBS statistical qualifiers, which translates to 64-of-102 passing for 588 yards with three TDs and two interceptions.
2020 (0)
None: A real outlier during the Kelly/Freeman years (2010-present). Only one other time (2016) did the Irish not lose any recruits to a decommitment in a given recruiting cycle, and in none of those cycles, other than 2020, did ND not flip at least one prospect committed elsewhere into its class. In 2020, it was completely decommitment-free both ways.
2021 (2)
David Abiara, DE, Texas: Abiara spent his freshman season at Texas, but didn’t see a single snap of game action. He then transferred to SMU (4-1), which plays its second-ever ACC game on Saturday, taking on 22nd-ranked Louisville (3-1) on the road (Noon EDT; ESPN). Abiara has played in one of the Mustangs’ five games this season and is looking for his first tackle of 2024. In 10 career games, he has accrued five tackles, with a half a sack.
Greg Crippen, OL, Michigan: In his fourth season at Michigan as a reserve center with zero career starts and 19 games played as the 10th-ranked Wolverines (4-1) get set to visit Washington (3-2) on Saturday night (7:30 EDT; NBC). He has seen action in three of the five Michigan games going into Saturday’s rematch of the 2023 CFP National Championship Game.
2022 (5)
Darren Agu, DE, Vanderbilt: Born in Ireland, raised in London and groomed for college football in rural Georgia, Agu has played in two of Vanderbilt’s four games this season as a reserve — 22 total snaps and zero tackles — heading into the Commodores’ SEC clash at home Saturday with No. 1 Alabama (4-0). Kickoff is 4:15 p.m. EDT on the SEC Network.
In his two previous seasons, Agu was more active for coach Clark Lea’s Commodores (2-2), playing in 21 games combined in 2021-22 and making eight starts. Agu has 30 career tackles and 1.5 career sacks.
Devin Moore, S, Florida: Moore ended up as a cornerback after signing with the Gators and has struggled to transcend injuries and illnesses all three of his seasons in Gainesville. That includes a shoulder injury that limited him to eight snaps in the Gators’ season-opening loss to Miami (Fla.) and caused him to miss game 2, against Samford.
He’s been back in the lineup the past two weeks, and is expected to be so again Saturday night (7:45 p.m. EDT; SEC Network), when the Gators (2-2) host UCF (3-1). But he’s struggling to gain some consistency, as he ranked 35th by Pro Football Focus among the 41 Florida defensive players who have played at least one snap this season.
Jack Nickel, TE, Michigan State: In his third collegiate season and his second school (UAB), the Milton, Ga., product is still looking for his first collegiate catch. Nickel has played in all four games to date in his first season with the Blazers (1-3), but only a combined eight snaps the past two weeks.
In his two seasons with the Spartans, Nickel did not play at all as a freshman in 2022 and played mostly special teams in 2023, getting just 13 snaps on offense for the Spartans last season.
UAB hosts Tulane (3-2) on Saturday (1 p.m. EDT; ESPN+ streaming).
Amorion Walker, WR, Michigan: An 11th-hour wide receiver decommitment along with CJ Williams as Notre Dame was transitioning from Brian Kelly to Marcus Freeman as head coach in December of 2021, Walker has more position changes (2) and school changes (2) since enrolling at Michigan as he does career receptions (1).
Heading into 10th-ranked Michigan’s Big Ten matchup Saturday night at Washington (7:30 EDT; NBC), the 6-foot-3, 182-pounder has logged four snaps this season spread over two games and has played in 13 career games as a reserve.
Walker started out as a wide receiver, and caught one pass for four yards as a freshman in 2022. He then transitioned to cornerback as a sophomore and amassed three tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup in 2023.
After the season Walker transferred to Ole Miss, then transferred back to Michigan in the summer and moved back to wide receiver.
C.J. Williams, WR, USC: Williams lasted one season at USC before transferring to Wisconsin, where he played for current Irish wide receivers coach Mike Brown last season. In his third college season, Williams has one career start — coming last season — and one career TD.
After catching four passes for 34 yards for USC, Williams collected 15 for 168 last season for a 9.9-yards-per-catch average. Five of those 15 in 2023 came against this Saturday’s opponent, Purdue (1-3).
In four games as a reserve this season for the Badgers (2-2), Williams has three catches for 68 yards and 1 TD, Kickoff for Wisconsin/Purdue in Madison, Wis., is noon EDT (Big Ten Network).
2023 (7)
Peyton Bowen, S, Oklahoma: Bowen made a big splash as a freshman, playing in 13 games last season for the Sooners and starting two. He collected 36 tackles, with a sack, along with five pass breakups, a QB hurry, a forced fumble and two blocked kicks.
But this season, he’s been quieter with 14 tackles — five of them coming in last weekend’s 27-21 escape against Auburn. The 19th-ranked Sooners (4-1) have Saturday off before facing No. 2 Texas (5-0) in Dallas on Oct. 12 in their first-ever matchup as SEC teams.
Dylan Edwards, RB, Colorado: The 5-9, 167-pound running back moved on to Kansas State after a year with the Buffaloes, and those two teams face each other in Boulder, Colo., on Oct. 12 after a bye week this weekend.
With 20th-ranked Kansas State (4-1), Edwards has made an impact in the run game (204 yards on 29 carries and 2 TDs), the passing game (seven receptions for 37 yards, 1 TD) and special teams (16.0-yard average on six punt returns, 1 TD; 18.3 average on three kickoff returns).
At Colorado (4-1), Edwards played in 12 games with six starts. He rushed for 324 yards on 76 carries and 1 TD, caught 36 passes for 299 yards and 4 TDs, returned five kickoffs for a 21-yard average and two punts for a 9.5-yard average.
Sedrick Irvin, RB, Stanford: After not playing as a freshman against Notre Dame last November, Irvin should get his first crack at the Irish next Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium (3:30 p.m.; NBC).
It’ll be the third trip this season into the Eastern Time Zone for the new members of the ACC. The Cardinal (2-2) host Virginia Tech (2-3) this Saturday (3:30 p.m. EDT; ACC Network).
Irvin is Stanford’s fourth-leading rusher this season, with 64 yards on 14 carries. He has caught four passes for 92 yards. As a freshman, Irvin played in eight games with three starts. He rushed for 113 yards on 26 carries with a TD, and caught two passes for nine yards.
Keon Keeley, DE, Alabama: The former five-star prospect moved from defensive end to outside linebacker as a freshman and didn’t see any playing time in Nick Saban’s final season of leading the Alabama program.
This offseason, he put on 35 pounds (now 6-5, 277) and moved back to defensive end under new coach Kalen DeBoer. And he finally got off the bench — for all of three plays in Alabama’s 2024 season-opener vs. Western Kentucky and has not played since. The top-ranked Crimson Tide (4-0) visit Vanderbilt (2-2) on Saturday (4:15 p.m.; SEC Network), and Keeley is not listed in the two-deeps for Alabama.
Jayden Limar, RB, Oregon: The sophomore had one rush for minus-5 yards in No. 6 Oregon’s 31-10 win over Michigan State on Friday night. The Ducks (5-0) have a showdown next Saturday at home against No. 3 Ohio State (4-0).
For the season Limar has 13 rushing yards on seven carries, two catches for 71 yards and a TD, and one kickoff return for 26 yards. As a freshman he played in 11 of Oregon’s 14 games, amassing 56 snaps on offense and 41 on special teams.
Limar ran for 109 yards on 24 carries with 1 TD in 2023, and caught seven passes for 61 yards.
Elijah Paige, OT, USC: Just two years into his college career, Paige is already a starting left tackle, and he’ll face Notre Dame in the regular-season finale for both teams, Nov. 30 in Los Angeles. But it hasn’t been easy.
The 11th-ranked Trojans (3-1) visit Minnesota (2-3) on Saturday night (7:30 p.m.; Big Ten Network), and the 6-7, 320-pounder will do so with a lower PFF season score (52.6) than any starting or reserve Notre Dame offensive lineman who has played at least one snap this season. That score was skewed by a nightmare outing against Michigan, a 27-24 Trojan loss on Sept. 21.
As a freshman, Paige played in five games and started in the Holiday Bowl against Louisville.
Justyn Rhett, CB, Georgia: Rhett redshirted and didn’t see any game action in 2023, and is now a backup safety as a sophomore.
He’s played in two of the four games as a reserve for No. 5 Georgia (3-1), which hosts Auburn (2-3) on Saturday (3:30 p.m.; ABC) for a combined 23 snaps against Clemson and Tennessee Tech.
Among the 39 players who have logged at least one defensive snap for the Bulldogs this season, Pro Football Focus ranks him, through film reviews, as No. 39.
2024 (3)
Isiah Canion, WR, Georgia Tech: Canion will get to face Notre Dame Oct. 19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta or at least have a nice sideline view. He has amassed 22 snaps combined in two games (VMI, Louisville) but no catches yet for the Yellow Jackets (3-2), who are 9 ½-point favorites at home Saturday night against 5-0 Duke (8 p.m.; ACC Network).
Brandon Davis-Swain, DE, Colorado: The Buffaloes (4-1) have the weekend off, before hosting 20th-ranked Kansas State (4-1) on Oct. 12. Davis-Swain’s playing time on defense has consisted so far of six snaps in one cameo with no tackles.
Owen Wafle, DE, Michigan: Wafle — at 6-2, 298 — has bulked up to be a defensive tackle but has yet to see game action as a freshman this season for the 10th-ranked Wolverines (4-1), who visit Washington (3-1) on Saturday night (7:30 p.m.; NBC).
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