The Notre Dame football program pulled off a real showstopper on National Signing Day. At the start of his press conference on Wednesday, Trainer said Marcus Freeman announced that San Juan Capistrano (California) JSerra Catholic Four-star linebacker Madden Faraimo has submitted and signed its grant agreement with the Fighting Irish.

“Well, I think it was unique, right?” Freeman told reporters on Wednesday. “One that still exists today. We talked last night and he was still undecided. We talked this morning, he hadn’t decided yet. Sometime after his discussions with our coaching staff, myself (director) Chad Bowdenhe realized that this was the place he wanted to be.

“It was funny; I talked to him and said, ‘Man, vote hard, vote hard.’ That’s what we use here. He said, “Coach, I chose God.” And I thought that was a powerful statement that spoke volumes about the young man and his family.

“It was one of those that failed until the last minute. By the time the papers arrived, you were still on the hook.”

Faraimo, the No. 77 overall player and No. 4 linebacker in the class according to On3 Industry Rankings, is just days away from taking an official visit to nearby Southern Cal, the school that ranked No. 2 in his recruitment. He made well over a dozen trips to the USC campus. The Trojans maintained the momentum until signing day.

However, as On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons According to a report on the On3 Recruits YouTube channel around 11:45 a.m. ET on Wednesday, it was never a given that Faraimo would end up signing with the Trojans.

“Going back to Madden for a second, he’s a guy who plays this thing extremely close to the vest,” Simmons said. “My understanding is that he came here today – and I haven’t heard anything on my phone since – he hasn’t told anyone where he’s going. Or when he announces it.”

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

“We know Notre Dame has been there since the beginning,” Simmons said. “We know he has thought about committing to Notre Dame once or twice in the last six to eight months. He was there in South Bend for a few games this season. …

“There is a lot of talk. Isn’t he really a USC leaner? Could he return to Notre Dame? However, one thing I can tell you from someone who is around there is that the mood around USC is not that positive right now.”

The SIMmons connection was correct. Faraimo favored the Fighting Irish to complete his well-thought-out recruitment.

The 1.80 meter tall, 110 kilogram Faraimo officially visited Notre Dame on the weekend of June 7th to 9th. He then returned to campus for the Louisville game on September 28 and the Florida State game on November 9. After each of these trips, there was confidence in South Bend that they could win his commitment. Nevertheless, Faraimo continued to delay his decision.

When Faraimo completed his official visit to USC, Simmons and On3 were vice president of the recruiting and transfer portal Steve Wiltfong Both gave tips in favor of the Trojans in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). But Notre Dame ultimately won Wednesday when it mattered most.

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

For Faraimo, in addition to USC, Texas and Washington were among the finalists after he officially visited both schools in the summer. He received scholarship offers from 17 other Power Four programs, including Ohio State and Oregon, which made his list of top four schools in February.

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

“It was really great to see,” he said. “That was kind of one of my concerns about Notre Dame. But that box is certainly ticked now.”

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

“I would say it’s definitely changed a little bit now,” Faraimo said Blue and gold in June while reflecting on the first trip he took to campus about a year earlier. “I don’t know if it (wasn’t) exactly my favorite or if I wasn’t crazy about it. But now they’re a top school for sure.”

He proved this by making two trips to South Bend during his senior season of high school. Florida State’s game on November 9th came a week before its 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 at Notre Dame.

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

Faraimo also pointed out that the university’s faith-based education, player development and relationships were the reason he chose Notre Dame on Wednesday.

“Notre Dame is a faith-based school,” Faraimo said. “Faith is so important to me. This is what sets Notre Dame apart 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.”