Notre Dame safety commit Zayden Gamble made clear that money was not the deciding factor when he chose the Fighting Irish over Miami, Florida and Ohio State. The St. Thomas Aquinas standout also used the moment to send a message about the Irish's growing recruiting presence in the state.
"I didn't talk NIL with anybody else besides ND. What they have for you outside of football, that's priceless. I didn't care about the number. I just knew I wanted to be at Notre Dame."Zayden Gamble
New Irish safety Zayden Gamble told Isabella, money wasn't a factor when he chose Notre Dame.
— CathVSConf☘️ (@CathVSConf) July 3, 2026
"I didn't talk NIL with anybody else besides ND. What they have for you outside of football, that's priceless. I didn't care about the number. I just knew I wanted to be at Notre… pic.twitter.com/MVOjHjhaAn
Notre Dame 4-star commit Zayden Gamble declares the Irish "FloridaDame"
247Sports ranks Gamble as a four-star prospect, the No. 111 player nationally, the No. 9 safety and the No. 11 recruit in Florida in the 2027 class. Gamble recorded 65 tackles, three tackles for loss and three interceptions for St. Thomas Aquinas in 2025.
Gamble is a South Florida prospect from one of the state's most established high school programs, and Miami had hosted him repeatedly before Notre Dame made its move. Gamble ultimately found something at Notre Dame that he believed extended beyond football.
Gamble also spoke directly about "FloridaDame," the label Notre Dame coaches and commitments have used while building momentum in the state.
"This is really a pipeline. We are going to get your favorite player. Sorry to the schools in Florida, but we are going to grab all the recruits that we can."Zayden Gamble
Notre Dame has four 2027 commitments from Florida: Gamble, Vero Beach quarterback Wonderful "Champ" Monds IV, Chaminade-Madonna safety John Gay III and St. Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Julius Jones Jr.
Jones' commitment made the Florida presence especially noticeable because he and Gamble are teammates at St. Thomas Aquinas. Jones is also the son of former Notre Dame running back Julius Jones. He enters the Irish's class as a four-star receiver ranked No. 75 nationally and No. 12 at the position by Rivals.
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