Four-star RB Isaiah Rogers commits to Notre Dame football

Notre Dame football has secured a second running back in the 2027 recruiting cycle.

Springfield (Mass.) Central four-star recruit Isaiah Rogers announced his pledge to the Fighting Irish on Monday. Rogers’ decision to play college football for Notre Dame comes after he unofficially visited March 21 for the program’s junior day recruiting event.

“The visit really opened my eyes to a lot of things,” Rogers told Blue & Gold in a phone interview before making his choice public. “Not just for football, but after football — the networking and the Notre Dame degree.

“But also with football, what (running backs) coach [Ja’Juan] Seider has done, what coach [Marcus] Freeman has done. I mean, Coach Seider is sending four running backs to the league now. It really opened my eyes to a lot of opportunities.”

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Rogers follows Waco (Texas) Midway four-star running back Lathan Whisenton, Rivals’ No. 12 running back in the class, in committing to the Irish. Notre Dame’s 2027 class is up to nine pledges and ranks No. 7 in the team recruiting rankings.

According to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from the three primary recruiting media services, Rogers is the No. 197 overall player, No. 10 running back nationally and No. 2 prospect in Massachusetts in the 2027 class. Rivals considers him the No. 275 overall player and No. 20 running back.

Before locking in his spot with the Irish, Rogers held offers from 15 other Power Four schools, including a group of finalists that featured Georgia, Indiana and Penn State. He had planned to officially visit those schools in June, but ultimately couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play for Notre Dame.

“I just felt like the time was right,” he said. “All my boxes were checked and more. My mom loved it as well. I didn’t need to keep going through my recruitment because I felt like I found home.”

March 21 marked Rogers’ second time on campus. He previously visited about two years earlier, in June 2024 before his sophomore season, to compete in the program’s Irish Invasion camp. After an impressive showing, Rogers remained on Notre Dame’s radar through his sophomore campaign.

Seider eventually offered him last March during the program’s since-retired St. Patrick’s Day-themed Pot of Gold Day recruiting event. While Seider had been on the job for about a month at that point, he had a preexisting relationship with Rogers dating back to his time at Penn State.

Rogers’ connection with Seider was a driving force in his decision. The rising senior has full belief in Seider’s ability to develop him at the next level while also competing for championships.

“I mean, 110% because it’s proven,” Rogers said. “Coach Seider has developed backs from Penn State and even now at Notre Dame. It’s not a question of whether I’m going to be developed and competing for a national championship. They do that every year.

“Obviously, they didn’t make the College Football Playoff — they were probably one spot short, and they should have made it. But the year before that, they were in the College Football Playoff championship. I fully believe that they are ready to compete for a national championship.”

The Isaiah Rogers file

Rogers put together a dominant junior season just a few months ago. In 10 games, he totaled 1,504 yards from scrimmage (1,217 rushing, 287 receiving) with 21 touchdowns (18 rushing, three receiving). That production came on 137 carries and 17 catches for a 9-2 Springfield (Mass.) Central team that lost in the Division 1 state semifinal.

As a sophomore, Rogers registered 804 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on 63 carries. He also added five catches totaling 61 yards and another score.

Rogers is also an exceptional track and field athlete. Last winter, he recorded a personal-best 6.61 seconds in the 55-meter dash. On the outdoor circuit, he clocked a 10.74 in the 100-meter and 37.6 in the 300-meter last spring.