Ever since Marcus Freeman replaced Brian Kely at Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish have been recruiting at another level. While Freeman has reeled in elite recruits at an incredible level, it has been his ability recruiting a different kind of athlete that stands out. Marcus Freeman has been elite at landing the sons of former NFL greats which is impressive as the former stars know which coaches have the best plan in place.
During his tenure at Notre Dame, Marcus Freeman has coached or landed Jordan Clark the son of Ryan Clark, Elijah Burress the son of Plaxico Burress, Bryce Young the son of Hall of Famer Bryant Young, Jerome Bettis Jr, Kaydon Finley the son of Jermichael Finley, and Thomas Davis Jr. On Saturday, Marcus Freeman won out again landing the son of another NFL Great.
Notre Dame lands Devin Fitzgerald the son of Larry Fitzgerald
On Saturday Night, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish landed a commitment from Devin Fitzgerald the son of Larry Fitzgerald beating out UCLA, Stanford, and Clemson.
What do you mean Larry Fitzgerald’s SON just committed to Notre Dame???
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) July 5, 2025
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According to On3's Industry Recruiting Rankings, Fitzgerald is the 524th ranked player in the Country, the 82nd ranked wide receiver in the class, and the 6th ranked player out of Arizona.
While Fitzgerald is ranked as a 3-star recruit at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds with the NFL pedigree he has, he could develop into a key piece for Notre Dame which has struggled at the receiver position. Along with his frame, Fitzgerald moves fluidly with an impressive level of explosiveness getting up the field.
The way Marcus Freeman has made his program a destination for the sons of former players is truly impressive and says a ton about his ability as a coach. These former players have seen it all from coaches and if Freeman is going to continue to land their sons at the rate he has, he's certainly building the right way.