Notre Dame football also reportedly pursued James Blanchard in the spring of 2023 before hiring Butler Benton away from Arkansas.

The latest setback comes from James Blanchard of Texas Tech. He was the guy Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman targeted to be his new general manager, but the South Bend Tribune is reporting that Blanchard informed the Irish he has decided to stay at Texas Tech.

Notre Dame landed yet another outstanding defensive class under head coach Marcus Freeman. The Irish hit all of its needs in the class and added impact talent on all three levels of the defense. Notre Dame landed one of the nation's best classes at cornerback,

Much of the luster of the first Wednesday in February has been lost with the addition of the early signing period in December, as the Irish signed 24 commits while also taking 8 transfers. With some much player movement already, and not many 2025 uncommitted recruits being linked to Notre Dame, we shouldn’t expect much from this signing period.

Notre Dame landed a balanced offensive class during the 2025 cycle. The Irish hit all their numbers needs, landing a quarterback, a running back, three wide receivers, a tight end and four offensive linemen.

James Blanchard's new three-year deal with the Red Raiders will have a total value of $1.575 million, sources told ESPN. Blanchard received the new contract after turning down the general manager vacancy at Notre Dame,