8/15/2023 football Edit

Four-star 2025 TE Nate Roberts backs off commitment to Notre Dame football

Nate Roberts, a four-star tight end Notre Dame in the 2025 recruiting class, has decommitted from Notre Dame. The Washington (Okla.) High recruit verbally committed to Notre Dame in June. (Photo provided)

Charleston Bowles • InsideNDSports

Recruiting Writer

Notre Dame's 2025 recruiting class shrank Tuesday with the loss of tight end Nate Roberts.

The four-star prospect decommitted from the Irish less than two months after verbally pledging to head coach Marcus Freeman, offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Gerad Parker and the rest of the staff in June.

Roberts attends Washington (Okla.) High and has reported several new offers this summer from Florida, Florida State and Nebraska. Oklahoma continued to push for the in-state product well beyond his announced commitment.

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The 6-foot-4, 230-pound recruit released a top 12 of Notre Dame, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Miami (Fla.), Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State and Wisconsin in early June. He visited Michigan and Ohio State prior to his final Notre Dame visit in June before his decision.

Rivals ranks Roberts as the No. 119 overall player and No. 2 tight end in the 2025 class. Roberts, as well as Notre Dame's remaining 2025 commits, running back Justin Thurman and defensive tackle Davion Dixon, all have 5.8 ratings.

According to the Rivals Football Team Recruiting Rankings Formula, recruits that fall between 5.8 and 6.0 are labeled All-America candidates, among the top 300-325 prospects overall and deemed to have NFL Draft potential in the first three rounds.

"I have made the decision to decommit from the University of Notre Dame. I want to thank Coach Freeman, Coach Parker, and Chad Bowden for the opportunity, and wish them and the Fighting Irish the best going forward."

— Nate Roberts on Twitter

After losing Roberts, Notre Dame's 2025 class falls from No. 7 to No. 16 with a point total of 204 between Dixon and Thurman.

With only one tight end committed to their 2024 class in four-star recruit Jack Larsen, the Irish plan to keep pursuing four-star tight end and Notre Dame legacy James Flanigan in the 2025 class. His father, Jim, played defensive line for Notre Dame from 1990-93. James has visited campus three times since March and reports offers from schools like Illinois, Michigan, Stanford and Wisconsin.

Notre Dame has also offered four other tight ends in the 2025 class — Ethan Barbour, Jack VanDorselaer, Ryan Ghea and Aaron Ia. Ghea, a 6-foot-5, 239-pound four-star recruit, has shown the most interest by visiting Notre Dame twice in the spring.

The Irish have also hosted 2025 tight end prospect Brock Schott twice this summer including for July's Grill & Chill recruiting event. Although Rivals ranks Schott as the No. 9 tight end in the class, Notre Dame has been evaluating the four-star recruit as an athlete with the potential to play defensive. He may be on offer watching during his junior season at Leo (Ind.) High.

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