Now you've got 'em, now maybe you don't as Notre Dame eyes USF football recruit

During his time at USF, head football coach Alex Golesh and his staff have approached recruiting with a tenacity not previously seen on Fowler Avenue. They go after top talent and don't care if it means competing against power-conference schools.

The result has been recruiting classes ranked at the top of the American Athletic Conference and ahead of multiple Power 4 programs. The dude does know how to sell his program.

However, with success comes unwanted attention from other programs eager to poach USF’s prospects after they verbally commit to the Bulls but before signing their scholarships. The latest is three-star class of 2025 dual-threat quarterback/receiver Antavious Richardson of Greenville High School in Georgia.

Richardson tweeted that he had received an offer from Notre Dame. This is on top of offers he received recently from North Carolina, Duke, and Mississippi State. SI.com reported the Irish want Richardson as a receiver, and why not?

He has a sprinter’s speed and probably won’t wind up as a quarterback in college. He can be a game-breaker in the right system, and in today’s NIL world, every elite player will be a target of power-conference schools.

Richardson visited USF on June 21 and was part of the recruiting group treated to photo ops on a row of Lamborghinis at Raymond James Stadium. Richardson committed to the Bulls a couple of days later.

It’s worth noting that Richardson first committed to Georgia State before switching to the Bulls.

Can Golesh and his staff hold off Notre Dame, North Carolina, and who knows how many other schools will try to poach a prized recruit?

The earliest we can know the answer to that will be during the three-day early signing period that begins after Thanksgiving. If Richardson doesn’t sign then but doesn’t publicly back out of his commitment to USF, everyone will have to wait until National Signing Day on February 7, 2025.

Recruiting has always been a cut-throat business, and this situation is no different. Honestly, with the amount of NIL money legally available to college athletes today, I can’t blame any recruit who wants to shop around for the best deal.

I imagine Golesh and his staff understand that as well as anyone. That’s why even if Richardson “commits” to Notre Dame or someplace else, USF will do its best to remind him why he chose to be a Bull in the first place.

That’s how it works in recruiting.

Coaches can’t take anything for granted, because now you’ve got ‘em, and maybe now you don’t.