Notre Dame commit tracker: Four-star CB Chaston Smith stacks turnovers in Week 1 win

For 16 Notre Dame football verbal commits, their final high school season is underway before they arrive in South Bend in a few months. Four-star quarterback Teddy Jarrard, a 2027 recruit, has also begun his penultimate high school campaign.

Each week during football season, Blue & Gold will publish a full report on how the Irish’s 30 pledges across the 2026 and 2027 classes perform in their games.

We strive to provide the most complete, accurate and up-to-date weekly and season stats available. But because high school games are rarely charted live, some updates may come later from a commit’s coaching staff. In those cases, we’ll note it in the story and add the stats once received. To maintain consistency, commits are listed by class and then in alphabetical order.

Without further ado, here’s the first edition of this year’s Notre Dame commit tracker — led by four-star cornerback Chaston Smith’s spectacular senior debut at Knoxville (Tenn.) Catholic.

Notre Dame 2026 commits

Three-star LB Kobe Clapper

Collected 8 tackles (2 solo), including 1.5 for loss, in Cincinnati St. Xavier’s (1-0) 14-7 victory over West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West (0-1). 

Next game: vs. Centerville (Ohio) High (0-1) Aug. 29. 

Four-star LB Thomas Davis Jr.

Matthews (N.C.) Weddington (1-0) had a shutout 30-0 victory against Mooresville (N.C.) High (0-1). Davis’ individual stats were unavailable at this posting time.

Next game: at Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park (1-0) Aug. 29. 

Five-star EDGE Rodney Dunham Jr.

Did not play in Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park’s (1-0) 37-6 victory over Concord (N.C.) Jay M. Robinson (0-1) Aug. 23. 

Next game: vs. Matthews (N.C.) Weddington (1-0) Aug. 29. 

Four-star EDGE Ebenezer Ewetade

Had 5 tackles, 3 stops for loss and 4 quarterback hurries in South Garner (N.C.) High’s (1-0) 20-0 win against Benson (N.C.) West Johnston (0-1). 

Next game: vs. Sanford (N.C.) Southern Lee (0-1) Aug. 29. 

Three-star WR Dylan Faison

Caught 3 passes for 45 yards, had a 9-yard carry and a 25-yard kick return in Boca Raton (Fla.) St. Andrew’s School’s (1-0) 28-24 victory over West Palm Beach (Fla.) The King’s Academy (0-1). Also notched 4 tackles. 

Next game: vs. Boca Raton (Fla.) Saint John Paul II Academy (0-0) Aug. 29. 

Four-star WR Bubba Frazier

Savannah (Ga.) Benedictine Military School (0-2) lost 42-14 to Buford (Ga.) High (2-0), the top team in the Peach State. Frazier’s individual stats were unavailable at this posting time.

Next game: at Waynesboro (Ga.) Burke County (2-0) Aug. 29. 

Season stats: 1 game | 3 receptions, 43 yards and 1 touchdown; 11 carries, 39 yards; 1 kick return, 20 yards

Three-star TE Preston Fryzel

Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic’s (0-1) dropped a 17-14 game against Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio) Walsh Jesuit (1-0). Fryzel’s individual stats were unavailable at this posting time.

Next game: at Detroit Cass Tech (0-0) Aug. 29. 

Four-star DL Elijah Golden

Recorded 3 tackles (2 solo), 3 stops for loss, 2 sacks and 3 quarterback hurries in Sarasota (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney’s (1-0) 41-14 win over Miami True North Classical Academy (0-1). 

Next game: vs. Englewood (Co.) Cherry Creek (1-0) Aug. 29. 

Four-star QB Noah Grubbs

Led Lake Mary (Fla.) High (1-0) to a 30-29 comeback win against Miami Norland (0-1) by completing 12-24 passes for 154 yards and 3 touchdowns; two of those incompletions were interceptions. Grubbs also ran 10 times for 41 yards and had a touchdown. 

For more on Grubbs’ performance, check out Blue & Gold recruiting insider Mike Singer’s report. 

Next game: at Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola (1-0) Aug. 29. 

Four-star OL Tyler Merrill

Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Cumberland Valley (0-1) fell 7-0 to Lancaster (Pa.) Manheim Township (1-0). Cumberland Valley has not posted game stats. 

Next game: at Carlisle (Pa.) High (0-1) Aug. 29. 

Four-star S Joey O’Brien and four-star OT Grayson McKeogh

O’Brien battled through a gash on his right arm to chart 6 catches for 62 yards, 3 pass breakups and 3 tackles in Wyndmoor (Pa.) La Salle’s (1-0) 23-6 win against Pittsburgh Central Catholic (0-1). McKeogh started at left tackle and was responsible for at least one sack. 

For more on O’Brien’s performance, check out Blue & Gold recruiting reporter Kyle Kelly’s game report. One on McKeogh will be published later this week.

Next game: at Malvern (Pa.) Prep (0-0) Aug. 29. 

Four-star S Ayden Pouncey

Posted 5 tackles (4 solo) and 2 catches for 46 yards in Winter Park (Fla.) High’s (0-1) 35-0 loss to Orlando (Fla.) Jones (1-0).

Next game: at Orlando (Fla.) Lake Nona (1-0) Sept. 12. 

Three-star S Nick Reddish

Registered 5 tackles (2 solo) in Charlotte (N.C.) Independence’s (1-0) 21-14 win against Gaffney (S.C.) High (0-1). 

Next game: vs. Cornelius (N.C.) William Amos Hough (1-0) Aug. 29. 

Four-star CB Chaston Smith

Snagged 2 interceptions in Knoxville (Tenn.) Catholic’s (1-0) 20-6 win over Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Riverdale (0-1). Smith’s complete stats were unavailable at this posting. 

Next game: vs. Clinton (Tenn.) Anderson County (1-0) Aug. 28. 

Four-star RB Jonaz Walton

Registered 14 carries for 102 yards and 1 touchdown to go with 6 catches for 86 yards and 2 more scores in Carrollton (Ga.) Central’s (2-0) win at Oxford (Ala.) High (0-1). 

Next game: vs. Hiram (Ga.) High (1-1) Aug. 29. 

Season stats: 2 games | 24 carries, 225 yards and 1 touchdown; 11 catches, 185 yards and 3 touchdowns

Notre Dame 2027 class commits

Four-star QB Teddy Jarrard

Completed 10-22 passes for 62 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb’s (1-1) 21-0 loss to Powder Springs (Ga.) McEachern (2-0).

Next game: at Sharpsburg (Ga.) East Coweta (0-2) Aug. 29. 

Season stats: 2 games | 25-44, 218 yards, 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions; 2 carries, 2 yards