2025 LB Madden Faraimo signs with Notre Dame football

The Notre Dame football program has led to a true National Signing Day. At the beginning of his Wednesday news conference, coach Marcus Freeman announced that San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) JSerra Catholic four-star linebacker Madden Faraimo has submitted his financial aid agreement and signed with the Fighting Irish.

“Well, I guess that was a unique one, wasn’t it?” Freeman told reporters Wednesday. “One that came down to today. We talked last night and his opinion wasn’t determined. We talked this morning, his opinion wasn’t determined. Sometime after his conversations with our coaching staff, myself (general manager) Chad Bowdenhe came to the realization that this was where he wanted to be.

“It was fun; I talked to him and I said, ‘Man, choose hard, choose hard.’ That’s what we use around here. He said, ‘Coach, I chose God.’ And I thought that was a powerful statement and it speaks volumes for the young man and his family.

“It was one of those that came down to the last minute. Until the papers came in, you were still on pins and needles.”

Faraimo, the superior no. 77 player and no. 4 linebacker in the class according to the On3 Industry Ranking, is just a few days away from officially visiting nearby Southern Cal, the school that finished second in its recruiting. He made well over a dozen trips to USC’s campus. Trojans kept momentum going into signing day.

However, as On3 director of recruitment Chad Simmons reported on On3 Recruit’s YouTube channel on Wednesday around 11:45 a.m. ET, it was never a foregone conclusion that Faraimo would end up signing with the Trojans.

“Going back to Madden, just a little bit, he’s a guy who plays this thing extremely close to the vest,” Simmons said. “As far as I know, coming here today – and I haven’t heard anything on my phone since – that he hasn’t told anyone where he’s going. Or when he announces.”

But things changed quickly. About 45 minutes later, at 12:32 PM ET, Simmons reported that USC was losing confidence. Freeman’s announcement that Faraimo had officially selected and signed with the Irish came around 1:05 p.m. ET.

“We know Notre Dame has been in this from the beginning,” Simmons said. “We know he’s considered committing to Notre Dame once or twice over the last six to eight months. He’s been there in South Bend for a couple of games this season. …

“There’s a lot of talk. Isn’t he really a USC maker? Can he lean back at Notre Dame? But one thing I can say is from someone connected there, the buzz isn’t that positive around USC right now .”

SIMmons’ connection was correct. Faraimo favored the Fighting Irish to close his well thought out recruiting.

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Faraimo officially visited Notre Dame the weekend of Sept. 7-9. June. He then returned to campus on Sept. 28 for the Louisville game and Nov. 9 for the Florida State game. After each of those trips, confidence came from South Bend that they could get his commitment. Still, Faraimo continued to delay his decision.

When Faraimo completed his USC official visit, Simmons and On3 vice president of recruiting and transfer portal Steve Wiltfong both posted picks in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) in favor of the Trojans. But Notre Dame won in the end when it mattered most Wednesday.

Faraimo’s recruitment has shades of another elite linebacker recruit from SoCal in the 2024 cycle. In July 2023, the Irish secured a verbal commitment from Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco product Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asathe overall player no. 43 and linebacker no. 4 in the 2024 class. Viliamu-Asa pledged to the Irish over Ohio State and Southern Cal about five months before signing with Notre Dame.

For Faraimo, in addition to USC, he had Texas and Washington as finalists after officially visiting both schools over the summer. He had scholarship offers from 17 other Power Four programs, including Ohio State and Oregon, which made his top 4 school list in February.

About two months later, Faraimo unofficially visited Notre Dame for spring practice, marking his second trip to campus. His first trip to South Bend took place on June 10, 2023. However, it was a quick visit that did not give him the full picture of the Irish. His visit on April 13 helped him overcome those hurdles, such as where he would live if he attended school at Notre Dame.

“It was really amazing to see,” he said. “That was one of my concerns, you could say, about Notre Dame. But that box is definitely checked now.”

Faraimo then made it to South Bend for his official visit on June 9, solidifying the Irish as a contender for his commitment.

“I would say it’s definitely changed a little bit now,” Faraimo shared Blue & Gold in June as he reflected on the first trip he made to campus about a year earlier. “I don’t know if it (wasn’t) exactly my favorite or I wasn’t really high on them. But now they’re definitely a top school.”

He proved that by making two trips to South Bend during his high school season. The Florida State game on Nov. 9 came a week before his playoff game. While it never resulted in an immediate commitment, it gave Faraimo a better feel for what it would be like to attend and play for Notre Dame.

“When I was at Notre Dame, I got a good sense of the history there,” Faraimo told Simmons. “It’s prestigious. There are great people all over campus involved there. The people make up that community.”

Faraimo also pointed to the university’s faith-based education, player development and relationships as reasons he chose Notre Dame on Wednesday.

“Notre Dame is a faith-based school,” Faraimo said. “Faith is so important to me. That’s what makes Notre Dame different from other schools. Then Notre Dame has a proven track record of sending linebackers to the NFL. They have a great staff and I really enjoy being around their coaches.”