Notre Dame rarely offers scholarships to high school freshmen, but when it saw 2028 Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic pass rusher Jackson Vaughn in South Bend this offseason, it had to jump on him. Vaughn has quickly become a top target for the Irish in 2028. He has the look of an elite prospect in the class.
While Vaughn has made a strong impression on the Fighting Irish staff, Notre Dame also sits high on his list early on. It is one of the top programs standing out so far. The New Jersey native has had a lot of great things to say about the Irish.
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In an interview with Rivals national recruiting analyst Chad Simmons, he gave some early insight into Vaughn and his growing relationship with Notre Dame. Here is what Simmons wrote in that update.
For Vaughn, Notre Dame stands out for more than just football.
“Notre Dame is a little different — the culture really stands out. Life after football, Notre Dame really stands out.”
He plans to be in South Bend on Sept. 13 to see the Irish host Texas A&M.
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In that piece from Simmons, Texas A&M and Tennessee were mentioned as other early top contenders. The Volunteers are especially interesting since Vaughn’s father played for the program. Regardless, the Irish are positioning themselves well.
Vaughn is already highly rated from a recruiting rankings perspective. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, he is rated as a five-star player. That rating also has Vaughn pegged as the No. 29 overall player, No. 5 EDGE, and No. 2 player in the state of New Jersey for the 2028 recruiting class. His big offseason on the camp circuit is a huge reason why Vaughn is so highly thought of already.
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Despite Vaughn’s sophomore season having not even begun yet, he has put together an elite offer list that includes 40 programs already. Some of the top offers for the New Jersey native include the Fighting Irish, Ohio State, Texas, Michigan, Oregon, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, USC, Penn State, Miami, Florida, Nebraska, Auburn, Louisville, South Carolina, Kentucky, Minnesota, UNC, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Washington, Illinois, Maryland, West Virginia, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Rutgers, Duke, and Purdue among others.
Freshmen do not typically make huge impacts as a part of the Bergen Catholic program, but Vaughn did just that in 2024. He managed to record 16 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, eight sacks, and a forced fumble this past season. The 6-3, 220-pound defensive end has superstar upside and should showcase more of it in a bigger role this fall.
This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Aug 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
