Jordan Deck, a 2026 Texas safety, already has five official trips scheduled, but he hopes to add one more.
“I’m definitely trying to get with Notre Dame,” Deck tells me.
The Lone Star High School safety has scheduled official visits with UCLA (May 15th), Michigan (May 30th), Penn State (June 6th), Ole Miss (June 13th), and Baylor (June 20th).
Deck and the Irish have yet to agree on a date – or days – for him to travel to South Bend, but his interest in Notre Dame is intense and reflects his feelings toward head coach Marcus Freeman and defensive backs coach Mike Mickens.
“I like Coach Freeman,” Deck admits. “I like what he is about. I appreciate what he stands for. He seems like an excellent head coach.
“I admire what Coach Mickens is doing with the secondary down there. Everyone in the secondary appears to be coached up, giving the impression that the program is primarily concerned with football. These days, it’s a lot of money and a business, but it appears that program is legitimate. That’s why I wanted to be a part of it; pay a visit down there.”
His attention is also divided amongst the other schools.
“I like Baylor,” he admits. “Because Baylor is so close to my house, I have a deep bond with them. I absolutely enjoy the coaching staff up there.
“Ole Miss, one of my older brothers, goes up there; Jaylon Braxton also travels there. He prefers it. I’m hooked in with Coach (Wes) Neighbor.
“Penn State, I admire Coach (Anthony) Poindexter, DJ Bryant. They are good folks. Their program is also moving in the right direction, similar to Notre Dame’s.
“I’d been in touch with UCLA for a long time before Gabe Lynn arrived from Colorado. Michigan, the same thing, another coaching staff that I’ve been tied to.”
Deck hasn’t established a concrete commitment date, but he plans to do so after completing his official trips.
“I’m just going with the flow as of right now, but I plan on committing the end of June,” he informs me.
He knows what he is searching for.
“A program I can go and play early, or have a shot to play, get on the field, a system I fit in, great coaching staff that I feel I have a connection with,” he goes on. “And a school that is home has homey sensations.
“If I’ve got a shot to go to The League, if I can get developed, because development is the most important thing, so I just want to go somewhere I feel I can get developed.”
