4-star Notre Dame commit takes shot at Miami before playing a single college snap

In a clip from a recent Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota, Fla.) game, shared on X, DL Elijah Golden, a 2026 Notre Dame signee, flashed an upside-down "U" with his hands and shouted "Miami Weak." It was a not-so-subtle jab at the Hurricanes days after Notre Dame was left out of the College Football Playoff in favor of Miami.

4-star Notre Dame commit enters Miami rivalry

Golden is one of the headliners in Notre Dame's loaded 2026 class. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound defensive lineman from Cardinal Mooney committed to Notre Dame over offers from Alabama, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech this summer.

As a junior in 2024, Golden's first season at Cardinal Mooney after stops at King George and IMG Academy, he posted 61 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, plus eight quarterback hurries and a pass breakup. Those numbers helped power Cardinal Mooney to a Class 2A state semifinal run and immediately made him one of the most disruptive front-seven players in Florida high school football.

He has followed that up with an even bigger senior year. Golden has piled up 33 tackles for loss and 14 sacks in 13 games, leading a defense that helped Cardinal Mooney to a 12-1 record.

Golden is a 2025 MaxPreps All-American, a Navy All-American and a Polynesian Bowl all-star, plus a MaxPreps junior All-American second-team pick and a Sarasota Herald-Tribune all-area first-teamer in 2024.

2026 Miami-ND matchup will be electric

With so much of the college football world focused on the CFP and current ND-Miami debate, it's easy to forget that these teams play next year. With the recruits already getting in on the fun, this will be one of the most anticipated regular season games in recent memory. And you have to love the confidence from a young prospect making things more interesting.