Notre Dame's top-ranked 2025 recruiting class took a hit Sunday night.
Three-star defensive end CJ May ditched his verbal commitment to the Irish, he told Inside ND Sports. May had been pledged to Notre Dame since he made his decision a visit for the Ohio State game in late September.
Despite his commitment, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound junior at Highland Home (Ala.) High, hasn't been shy about looking into other options. Auburn, specifically, has been making a strong push for May. He's visited the Tigers three times since committing to Notre Dame.
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May visited Auburn in January before returning to Notre Dame for its junior day with most of the other 2025 recruits committed to the Irish. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and defensive line coach Al Washington watched May play basketball in Alabama shortly after his trip to South Bend.
Notre Dame has been aggressive in recruiting defensive ends while May was a little less than firm with his commitment. The Irish still have commitments from four-star defensive ends Christopher Burgess Jr. and Joseph Reiff and four-star linebacker Dominik Hulak, who has also been recruited as a vyper end.
Notre Dame has continued to make four-star defensive Damien Shanklin of Indianapolis Warren Central a priority target in the 2025 class. Four-star defensive end Julian Marks and three-star defensive end Darren Ikinnagbon have remained targets for the Irish as well.
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The Irish even offered a couple of potential defensive ends in recent weeks: four-star recruit Ethan Utley and unrated recruit Javeon Campbell. Campbell visited Notre Dame on Thursday.
May became the first commitment to leave Notre Dame's 2025 class since four-star tight end Nate Roberts did so in August. Roberts has not yet committed to another program.
Notre Dame's 2025 class, which now includes 13 commitments, remains atop the Rivals team rankings with 1,519 points. Clemson, which is ranked No. 3, is the only other school with at least 11 commitments in the 2025 class.
The loss of May actually increased Notre Dame's star average, because he was one of only three three-star recruits committed to the Irish. Now Notre Dame has two: offensive tackle Will Black and outside linebacker Ko'o Kia.
Rivals ranks May as the No. 23 weakside defensive end in the country and No. 19 overall prospect in Alabama in the 2025 class.
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