Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MAY 2024 33 BY MIKE SINGER Notre Dame's newest commitment in the 2025 class has some serious Fighting Irish lineage. Atlanta Woodward Academy wide receiver Jerome Bettis Jr. — the son of Notre Dame legend Jerome Bettis Sr. — announced his pledge to the Irish on Pot of Gold Day March 17, Marcus Freeman's annual major recruiting initiative that falls on St. Patrick's Day. During last year's Pot of Gold, Bettis earned his offer from Notre Dame. Him picking the Irish certainly isn't a sur- prise. He took seven recruiting trips to South Bend before his pledge, including four since September. The Irish staff recruited him hard, and their efforts paid off, as Bettis picked Notre Dame over offers from Arkansas, California, Duke, Georgia Tech, Lou- isville, Missouri, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and others. The 6-3, 185-pounder didn't know a decade ago that he'd commit to Notre Dame on a football scholarship, but he did expect back then, after seeing an Irish home football game, that he'd at least end up a student there. "I always knew in the back of my mind it was going to be home for me," he told Blue & Gold Illustrated before making his decision public. "The first time I went up there with my mom, dad and sister, we saw them play against USC. I loved the energy, atmosphere and culture of the school. That was re- ally appealing to me at a young age. "Since then, I've felt a strong sense of home when I'm up there. That was a big factor for me." Even though Notre Dame was where he wanted to be, he still felt he should go through the recruiting process just like any other prospect would rather than jump on the opportunity in South Bend immediately because of his family history at the school. "There can also be times where things don't work out how you want to," he added. "I made sure I went through the process as a normal kid without precon- ceived notions. I knew it was a process, and I needed to take things slowly and figure it out step by step." Bettis informed the staff several weeks prior to making his decision to pick Notre Dame public, and the two parties liked the idea of announcing it on the anniversary of him earning the Irish scholarship offer. He spoke with a handful of Irish staff- ers, including director of player personnel Chad Bowden, about his decision. Bettis and Bowden discussed the logistics of an- nouncing his choice, and Bettis chatted with his future head coach Freeman. "I was ecstatic to call him about it," Bettis said. "Coach Freeman's initial re- action was amazing, and he was super welcoming. He told me how happy he was, and I felt great about it. I realized that there's no point in waiting anymore. I feel like I've gone through enough of the process and seen what I need to see." The timing of the decision caught Bettis Sr. by surprise. "He was super excited," the younger Bettis said. "For him to have two kids there is something that makes my par- ents really happy. I can continue his leg- acy and what he's done at Notre Dame." Bettis is thankful he had his father and mother, Trameka, alongside him through the recruiting process. "He went through the process himself and said he had a ridiculous amount of schools after him," Bettis explained. "It made things easier on me because he was able to share his knowledge with me. "He never wanted to push Notre Dame on me, but at the same time, he influenced the qualities that I looked at in a school. He and my mother shaped what I value. From there, it made Notre Dame the clear choice." During his 15-game junior season in which Woodward Academy reached the Georgia 6A state title game, Bet- tis hauled in 30 passes for 369 yards with 4 touchdowns. He was Wood- ward's third-leading receiver behind Wake Forest signee Ben Grice and 2025 Florida receiver pledge Josiah Abdullah. Bettis also played safety and posted 34 tackles (2 for loss) and 2 interceptions. On3 ranks Bettis as a three-star pros- pect, the No. 73 prospect in Georgia and the No. 126 wide receiver nationally. His father is one of the most beloved figures in Notre Dame football history. The elder Bettis played for the Irish from 1990-92 and ran for 1,912 yards with 33 total touchdowns on 337 rush- ing attempts. The 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee was selected in the first round, 10th overall, by the Los An- geles Rams in the 1993 NFL Draft. At the time of his retirement, the Su- per Bowl XL champion ranked fifth all time in NFL rushing with 13,662 yards on 3,479 career carries. Nicknamed "The Bus" for his bruising running style, he also scored 91 rushing touchdowns. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark in a game 61 times during the regular season and three more times in playoff games. Jerome's sister, Jada, is currently a freshman at Notre Dame. ✦ Legacy Recruit Joins The Fighting Irish's 2025 Class COMMITMENT PROFILE JEROME BETTIS JR. Bettis is listed by On3 as a three-star prospect, the No. 73 recruit in Georgia and the No. 126 wide receiver in the country. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 FILM ANALYSIS "Jerome Bettis Jr. uses his size to his ad- vantage in the red zone, does a great job of creating separation after the catch and wins in most contested ball situations. Blessed with long arms and big hands, he has a wide catch radius. He certainly has what the colleges are looking for and is the prototype for the mod- ern receiver. "He has the size and speed combination and super strong hands, which allows him to produce at all three levels. A handful for defenses in catch-and-run situations because of his strength, he has the bloodlines and the attitude to excel at the next level." — Prep Football Report recruiting analyst Tom Lemming