There was a time, not very long ago, that Notre Dame fans seemed to accept the fact that the Irish simply couldn't recruit the cornerback position like other top programs. You heard all the excuses as to why that is, but with a few exceptions, the previous two decades seemed to support this view.

Then Mike Mickens arrived in South Bend, and things quickly turned around. Mickens landed an outstanding cornerback class in 2022 (Benjamin Morrison, Jaden Mickey), followed that up with an excellent class in 2023 (Christian Gray, Micah Bell) and a strong group in 2024 (Leonard Moore, Karson Hobbs). 

So what did Mickens do for an encore? He went out in the 2025 class and landed the best cornerback class Notre Dame fans have seen in a very, very long time. 

The commitment of Mark Zackery to go with Dallas Golden and Cree Thomas gives the Irish its biggest cornerback class since the 2021 group, and the talent is exceptional. As good as the three previous classes were, the 2025 class is the best yet.

I graded the 2022 cornerback class out with an A grade, which is Elite/College Football Playoff caliber. The 2023 class also earned an A grade, and the 2024 class earned a B+ grade, which is that of a Top 10 group.

Morrison (2022) and Gray (2023) both graded out as Top 100 recruits on the IB Board, and both Mickey (2022) and Bell (2023) graded out as Top 150 caliber recruits. Moore (2024) earned a Top 150 caliber grade due to him missing a chunk of his senior season, but his film and talent is impressive. Hobbs graded out as a Top 250 caliber recruit on the IB Board.

That's a lot of talent in a three-year stretch, but none of those classes had a pair of Top 100 recruits. That's not true of the 2025 group, which has a pair of Top 100 players on the IB Board. Zackery is a Top 100 commit on my board, but Golden is actually a Top 50 recruit. He earned the highest grade of any cornerback that picked Notre Dame in recent seasons. While Golden isn't quite yet the natural cornerback that Morrison and Gray were, he is the most explosive and best all-around player, dominating as a running back, pass catcher and defensive back, and that is a key part in why his grade is as high as it is. Thomas grades out as a Top 150 caliber recruit. 

It's not just IB that considers this class as having a pair of Top 100 recruits. 247Sports also ranks both Golden and Zackery as Top 100 recruits in the 2025 class.

Golden is a dynamic, explosive athlete that could play all three cornerback spots (field, boundary, slot), he could dominate at safety, he would grade out as a four-star player at running and he'd be Notre Dame's highest ranked wide receiver if he wanted to play that position. Athletes like Golden are rare, and when you look at both his sophomore and junior seasons, he was at his best in the biggest moments. While he will need time to learn the cornerback position, his current talent and upside are enormous. 

Zackery is a silky smooth cornerback that could play either outside position (field, boundary). He is also a dynamic two-way player that was an impact receiver for the Ben Davis team that won a state championship in 2023. Zackery is sticky in coverage, he thrives in press and off man situations and his competitiveness is special. Zackery is thin (165 pounds), but he's exceptionally long and his functional strength is very good for his size. Zackery also has one of the highest football IQs of any cornerback in the country.

Thomas is a longer and bigger player than the other two corners. He's not as explosive athletically, but he's smart, instinctive and shows plenty of versatility. Thomas could play either outside spot, but he could also play safety if the need arose. He has loads of potential in the secondary, and landing him, Zackery and Golden gives Notre Dame a bigger corner class.

Mickens has destroyed the narrative that Notre Dame can't recruit top cornerbacks. It was always a myth, but the program struggled to land top cornerbacks with any kind of consistency, so it's understandable that many fans bought the excuses. Mickens, head coach Marcus Freeman and general manager Chad Bowden never bought into that lie, and they have proven that top cornerbacks can absolutely be recruited to Notre Dame, and thrive at Notre Dame.

If you want an elite defense you need elite corners, and the Irish currently have that, and it looks to be a reality for years to come.

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Irish Breakdown Content

2024 Scholarship Chart
2024 Football Schedule

Notre Dame 2025 Scholarship Offers

2025 Commit Rankings - Offense
2025 Commit Rankings - Defense

2024 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2024 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

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