4-star safety Zayden Gamble commits to Notre Dame: ‘I found my home’

Once the final decision was made, Gamble got in touch with the staff. He gave them the news on April 22, and the reaction matched the moment’s magnitude.

“I told Coach J-Cod (Jevaughn Codlin), then I talked to Coach Henry, and later that night I talked to Coach Freeman,” he said. “Then I got calls from everybody… the whole staff was calling me, and they were all excited about getting me. It was a great moment.”

With his decision locked in, there’s no second-guessing or reopening the process.

“I’m done… I’m shutting it down,” Gamble said. “I am only visiting Notre Dame. My official visit is on June 19. This is it for me. I found my home.”

Notre Dame has everything Gamble is looking for

For Gamble, the decision came down to more than football.

“I know I’ll become a better man when I leave Notre Dame, not just on the field, but off the field,” he said. “I’ll develop into another human I would never imagine myself being.

“The opportunities at Notre Dame… they don’t compare to anybody else. And that’s the defense I want to play for. It is the staff I want to play for. I want to play for Coach Freeman and be part of that brotherhood.”

Head coach Marcus Freeman played a major role in sealing the decision.

“He’s the realest thing you could find in a coach,” Gamble said. “I see him not only as my head coach, but my biggest mentor… my biggest father figure away from home.”

That vision, the development on and off the field, aligned with what Gamble and his family were looking for.

Looking ahead, Gamble will be a lead recruiter for the Irish

At the same time, the idea of building something bigger also stood out. Gamble is the third recruit in Florida commit to the Irish. John Gay III committed earlier this week. Amarri Irvin committed last fall.

Quarterback Champ Monds is trending toward the Irish. Julius Jones is a legacy. Wyatt Smith is a teammate of Jones and Gamble in high school.

Freeman and company are just getting started in the Sunshine State.

“It’s crazy… knowing all these guys and potentially going to college with them,” Gamble said, referencing multiple Florida targets also trending toward Notre Dame.

“Going to the same school as these guys… it’s going to build stronger relationships. Julius is my best friend. I grew up playing with John. Amarri plays on the same 7v7 team as me. Champ is a local guy in South Florida. A lot is happening.”

Gamble sees it as more than just a class — he sees it as the start of something.

“I think this could be the start of a pipeline,” he said. “It is not only going to be great for us now, and this class, but in the future at Notre Dame and the guys coming behind us.”