Corona (Calif.) Centennial four-star cornerback Jaden Mickey has announced his commitment to the University of Notre Dame. The 5-11, 175-pounder from the class of 2022 chose the Fighting Irish over a ton of scholarship offers, but had a list of finalists that included Oregon, Northwestern and Cal.
Special teams coordinator and west coast recruiter Brian Polian led the way as the primary recruiter for Mickey. Polian has plenty of connections at the school and did a really nice job of building a close bond with Mickey during his process. Also playing an important role in Mickey’s final decision was defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, who made the west coast standout a priority shortly after arriving in South Bend. Not to be outdone, cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens also did a strong job of hitting it off with Mickey and showing him what a future would look like under his tutelage at Notre Dame.
“Brian Polian is my lead recruiter and I like him a lot. He’s straight facts, no fluff and tells it to you straight and that’s what I like,” said Mickey recently to 247Sports National Analyst Greg Biggins. “I’ve never visited but did do a virtual tour and loved what I saw. The campus is really traditional and has a cool look to it. I’ve had some people say it’s hard to go out and compete in a different part of the country but Notre Dame recruits nationally and always brings in players from out here. I talked to Javon McKinley, who played here, about how he liked it out there and he loved it. It was a little slow to get going for him but he’s got his degree and is getting ready for the NFL Draft so it all worked out great for him and he said he had a great experience.”
In Mickey, Notre Dame is getting a playmaker in the secondary. The Irish secured a commitment from a young man who landed six interceptions and totaled 31 tackles during his sophomore campaign. He, like everyone else in California, saw their junior season canceled due to the pandemic. However, look for him to continue to take his play up to another level before he arrives at Notre Dame in 2022.
“The fact that, one, Notre Dame can compete for a national championship. And, two, their degree is amazing,” said Mickey recently to Irish Illustrated’s Kevin Sinclair. “You hear about it everywhere. You can make a lot of money with a Notre Dame degree.”
Per 247Sports, Mickey is the No. 220 overall player in America, No. 27 cornerback nationally and No. 17 prospect in California from the class of 2022. The 247Sports Composite Rankings list him slightly lower as the No. 261 overall prospect nationally.
