Five thoughts on Cincinnati Catholic League DL Gordy Sulfsted’s Notre Dame football commitment

On Sunday, the Notre Dame football program added an unexpected prospect to its 2025 class commit list. Cincinnati St. Xavier three-star defensive lineman Gordy Sulfsted announced a verbal declaration to the Fighting Irish. The 6-foot-5, 235-pounder revealed his decision despite never publicly reporting a scholarship offer from Notre Dame.

According to the On3 Industry Ranking, Sulfsted is the No. 586 overall player, No. 50 defensive lineman nationally and No. 19 prospect in Ohio in 2025.

Sulfsted chose Notre Dame over 19 scholarship offers from power conference programs, including Duke, Iowa, Miami, Stanford, Washington and Wisconsin.

Here are five thoughts on the fifth defensive linemen in the Irish’s 2025 recruiting class.

1. Rather than let its search for the next Rylie Mills drag on into the summer or football season, Notre Dame pushed behind the scenes to add Sulfsted to the class.

Like several others pledged to the program — including fellow D-line commits Christopher Burgess , Davion Dixon , Dominik Hulak and Joseph Reiff — the Irish evaluated Sulfsted at one of their high school football prospect camps. The one he attended occurred on June 15.

Then, linebackers coach Max Bullough undoubtedly had eyes on Sulfsted when he stopped by St. Xavier on May 2, during a trip focused on seeing 2026 four-star linebacker target Kobe Clapper . Notre Dame’s knowledge goes beyond there. Defensive coordinator Al Golden’s son, A.J. Golden , played for St. Xavier in 2023.

The Irish diligently considered Sulfsted as their next 3-technique defensive lineman seven months before signing day.

2. Sulfsted projects as an interior D-lineman who can also play strongside defensive end — the position he primarily played as a high school junior.

His strengths are his footwork, hand speed, aggressiveness and motor. Because of his basketball background, he seems more refined in his use of his feet and hands. Aggression and relentlessness are products of his mental profile.

As a junior, those abilities helped him compile 41 tackles (22 solo), 6 TFLs, 3.5 sacks and 3 pass breakups in 12 games. He saw snaps at defensive end, defensive tackle and linebacker.

The St. Xavier coaching staff should get Sulfsted to focus on his pad level off the snap this upcoming season. That appears to be a necessary adjustment before he enrolls at Notre Dame. Strength and conditioning Loren La ndow will also be tasked with getting him to bulk up to play at a college-ready size.

3. Sulfsed should have no trouble gaining the weight necessary to become an effective college football lineman. His father, Alex Sulfsted , played offensive line for about three NFL seasons. The elder Sulfsted carried a 320-pounds on his 6-3 frame.

Of course, Gordy Sulfsted’s commitment gives the Irish yet another NFL legacy commit in its 2025 class. He joins wide receivers Jerome Bettis Jr . (Jerome Bettis), Elijah Burress (Plaxico Burress), tight end James Flanigan (Jim Flanigan) and safety Ivan Taylor (Ike Taylor) as a son of a former NFL player.

Under coach Marcus Freeman , Notre Dame has a remarkable track record of developing the sons of former professional football players. Left tackle Joe Alt , defensive lineman Howard Cross III and cornerback Benjamin Morrison all became All-Americans. It would be impressive if Sulfsted became one, too.

4. The Irish continue to tap into high school football talent in Ohio under Freeman, a product of Huber Heights Wayne. Since he took over as head coach in December 2021 and began recruiting the 2023 class, the Irish have signed or landed commitments from seven Buckeye State players:

Defensive lineman Brenan Vernon , safeties Ben Minich and Taebron Bennie-Powell , cornerback Karson Hobbs , EDGE Loghan Thomas , wide receiver Shaun Terry and now Sulfsted.

The development of some of these players should begin to percolate this season or next. Terry will not be on the roster until 2025.

5. Sulfsted’s commitment is also an important recruiting win for Notre Dame’s efforts in recruiting St. Xavier and the Greater Catholic League in Southwest Ohio.

Pending his signature, the last time the Irish signed a recruit from St. Xavier was top-100 recruit Matt James in the 2010 cycle. In 2026, Clapper is already a top-250 prospect coveted by programs nationwide. He is a must-get for the Irish.

Surely, future classes will include other Catholic League prospects, too. The Irish need to own that area and conference. They started last year by adding Archbishop Moeller’s Hobbs and will ideally continue to succeed in recruiting it well beyond Sulfsted.

Here is Notre Dame’s sorted by commitment date:

April 21, 2023 — Three-star DL Davion Dixon , Miami Palmetto
Aug. 1, 2023 — Four-star RB Justin Thurman , Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit
Sept. 18, 2023 — Four-star QB Deuce Knight , Lucedale (Miss.) George County
Sept. 23, 2023 — Three-star RB Daniel Anderson , Bryant (Ark.) High
Sept. 24, 2023 — Four-star DL Joseph Reiff , Elmhurst (Ill.) York Community
Oct. 21, 2023 — Four-star TE James Flanigan , Green Bay (Wis.) Notre Dame de la Baie Academy
Nov. 10, 2023 — Three-star EDGE Dominik Hulak , Elmhurst (Ill.) IC Catholic Prep
Nov. 20, 2023 — Four-star CB Cree Thomas , Phoenix Brophy College Preparatory
Dec. 1, 2023 — Four-star S Ivan Taylor , Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange
Dec. 21, 2023 — Four-star OT Will Black , Wallingford (Conn.) Choate Rosemary Hall
Jan. 6, 2024 — Four-star EDGE Christopher Burgess , Chicago Simeon Career Academy
Jan. 8, 2024 — Three-star S Ethan Long , Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick School
Jan. 15, 2024 — Three-star LB Ko’o Kia , Honolulu Punahou
Feb. 8, 2024 — Four-star OT Owen Strebig , Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic Memorial
Feb. 10, 2024 — Three-star WR Elijah Burress , Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic
Feb. 18, 2024 — Three-star WR Shaun Terry , Ironton (Ohio) High
Feb. 19, 2024 — Four-star OT Matty Augustine , Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick School
March 17, 2024 — Three-star WR Jerome Bettis Jr. , Atlanta Woodward Academy
March 30, 2024 — Four-star LB Anthony Sacca , Philadelphia St. Joseph’s
April 26, 2024 — Four-star CB Dallas Golden , Tampa (Fla.)  Berekely Prep
May 19, 2024 — Three-star DL Gordy Sulfsted , Cincinnati St. Xavier

Here are Notre Dame’s 2025 commits by position:

1 — Quarterback
2 — Running back
3 — Wide receiver
1 — Tight end
3 — Offensive line
3 — Defensive line
2 — Edge
2 — Linebacker
2 — Cornerback
2 — Safety

Here is a breakdown of the Irish commits by state:

1 — Arkansas
1 — Arizona
1 — Georgia
3 — Connecticut
4 — Florida
1 — Hawai’i
3 — Illinois
2 — Ohio
1 — Pennsylvania
1 — Mississippi
1 — New Jersey
2 — Wisconsin

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