There has been a rivalry between Notre Dame and Michigan for as long as the two schools have played football. The peculiar aspect of the rivalry is that it may be just as strong off the field as it is during games between the teams.

The main reason for Notre Dame’s independence is because Michigan prevented the little Catholic university from playing football at most of the Big Ten schools and from joining the Western Conference.

Although the on-again, off-again rivalry on the field isn’t expected to resurface for over ten years, the conflicts still exist, and the most recent one involves a significant recruit. Ivan Taylor, Notre Dame 2025 Recruiting Commitment

Safety Ivan Taylor is ranked highest in the 247Sports composite rankings for Notre Dame’s 2025 recruiting class.

Taylor is the son of Ike Taylor, a 12-year NFL veteran who won two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Taylor, a key member of Notre Dame’s outstanding incoming secondary, made his commitment on December 1, 2023.

However, Taylor continued to make formal visits after committing to the Fighting Irish, which presents a challenge for Notre Dame. When he paid an official visit to Notre Dame a week later, some of the controversy surrounding his early June visit to Alabama appeared to have subsided.

A week later, though, it was an official visit he made to Michigan that seems to have become problematic for Notre Dame. Experts Forecast Ivan Taylor to Resign from Michigan

According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Ivan Taylor is rated as a four-star prospect and the 49th best player in the country for the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Despite having committed to Notre Dame for more than seven months, the majority of knowledgeable recruiting analysts believe a switch to the maize and blue is imminent.

That’s a prediction made by national recruiting guru Tom Loy of 247Sports, as well as by Steve Wiltfong and EJ Holland of On3 Sports.

These crystal ball forecasts follow Taylor’s most recent official visit, which took place in mid-June in Michigan. In Ivan Taylor, what would Notre Dame be lacking?

Regarding Notre Dame appearing to be losing the commitment of Ivan Taylor, there’s good news and bad news.

The good news—or maybe not so bad—is that Notre Dame’s recruiting class of 2025 is in a strong position. Although Taylor would be missed, Notre Dame’s defensive backfield was assembled at an extremely high caliber this cycle, and this group of players is unquestionably the most resilient in the class in the event of a commitment loss.

The bad news is that Ivan Taylor is extremely sought after. Finding a top-50 talent in the recruiting rankings is one thing. Taylor’s list of scholarship offers, which includes offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami (FL), Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, USC, and other schools in addition to Notre Dame and Michigan, particularly highlights the story of his potential. Regarding Taylor, Andrew Ivins of 247Sports states:

Though he will ultimately need to gain some weight and strengthen his play strength, a top 25 program should consider him a multi-year starter.

Most likely to fit in at the third level of a defense, although he might be worth a look on Saturdays as an inside corner because he is sticky enough in man-coverage situations. What Would It Signify for the 2025 Recruiting Class of Notre Dame Football?

It seemed like Notre Dame had completed their defensive backfield for the 2025 recruiting class a few days prior to the announcement of four-star safety JaDon Blair’s pledge.

The team is full of skill, but it hurts when you lose your best player in a position. For Notre Dame supporters who watch recruiting closely, memories of the two recruitment cycles past, when highly regarded Peyton Bowen switched from Notre Dame to Oklahoma and then to Oregon, would undoubtedly come back to mind.

Fans of Notre Dame should keep an eye on Fort Wayne, Indiana, safety Brandon Logan if Taylor decides to officially switch. Logan has offers from several Big Ten schools, but he lacks Taylor’s NFL pedigree and recruiting ranking.

However, convincing him to abandon his baseball commitment to Vanderbilt may be more difficult said than done because of that.