Notre Dame landed a four-star quarterback on June 25 and it felt like a real win for Marcus Freeman’s staff. Trey Tagliaferri, a rising junior from Bergen Catholic in New Jersey, seemed like the kind of building-block recruit you hold onto for the long haul.
That lasted less than a week.
Tagliaferri announced his decommitment Wednesday, confirming the news to On3/Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett. So much for that momentum.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound passer is one of the most sought-after prospects in the 2028 cycle. Rivals ranks him as the No. 11 quarterback nationally and the No. 6 overall prospect in New Jersey. 247Sports has him at No. 19 among QBs and No. 10 in the state. Either way, he’s a top-tier talent and the Irish just lost him before he ever really got on campus.
Notre Dame still has work to do on its 2027 class — currently ranked No. 2 by On3 and 247Sports — and the 2028 group is still taking shape. But losing a pledge this early stings, especially when it comes to a kid with offers from Rutgers, Penn State, Alabama, and Ole Miss.
Oklahoma is the team to watch now. The Sooners are trending hard for Tagliaferri. On3’s prediction machine gives them a 93.3 percent chance of landing his commitment. They need a future replacement for John Mateer, who’s set to lead what should be a College Football Playoff team this fall. Landing Tagliaferri would give them a long-term answer under center.
Rutgers is still in the picture as his home-state option, and Penn State wants him bad. But Oklahoma’s recruiting momentum, combined with the Sooners’ offensive reputation and SEC future, makes them the obvious frontrunner.
Freeman and his staff will have to pivot. The Irish have shown they can recruit at an elite level, but losing a pledge this quickly — especially to a program like Oklahoma — is a reminder that nothing’s guaranteed until signing day.
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