38. That’s how many offers TE Grant Haviland, who goes to Milton High School, Alpharetta, GA, received last month. Those 38 offers included interest from Michigan, Texas, Notre Dame, and others waiting to onboard him. The 6’4, 215-pound prospect ranks No. 15 as a tight end in the Class of 2027, according to Rivals’ Industry rankings, and while the curiosity is high, the four-star recruit has dropped an interesting take on a particular program.

Notre Dame has been grinning from ear to ear, owing to a spectacular recruiting season. HC Marcus Freeman has been fresh off of a recruiting spree— landing elite recruits like Khary Adams, Joey O’Brien, and Javian Osborne, among others. And undoubtedly, they have come a long way. ND insider Mike Singer didn’t hold back, saying, “This is a run for Notre Dame that we have not seen before … Notre Dame is pretty much getting all of their top targets right now.” But the grind is not yet over. Marcus is far from being done. The Fighting Irish’s new target recruit, Haviland, dropped by in town last month, and let’s just say, he was not disappointed.

He was all smiles, with the Irish just inching closer to another big-time win off the field. “It went well,” Haviland expressed his views to the Irish Sports Daily. “It was a good time. Some great players there, just getting to build a relationship with them and then just seeing the place, seeing the culture there, seeing all the tradition that’s at Notre Dame and then just getting to build that relationship with the coaches was really nice.” He received his offer at South Bend in March, during the Pot of Gold Day.

“It was great to just build that relationship and get to know them more as people. They seem very family-oriented. They seem like coaches who will coach you hard, they’ll hold you accountable, but they’ll also praise you when you do well.” And it doesn’t end here. Offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Mike Denbrock and tight ends assistant Harris Bivin seem to love him. “They just think I really fit the culture and the people they have there and that I would work well in their system because they think I’m a threat in both the pass and run game, which they like a lot.

“I definitely liked it there. I’m excited to continue to build the relationship and maybe get back up there… I haven’t really sat down and completely figured out my schedule, but I think I’ll probably be at Georgia Clemson, LSU, Alabama, Texas… I’m not sure. There will probably be a few other schools, but I’m not sure yet.” But what is the player looking for in a program?

The Milton native gave a laundry list that checks off all his criteria. And much to the Irish’s delight, Notre Dame might have checked off two significant boxes off the list—the culture and the accountability factor. Expanding on his requirements, he listed out some parameters. “I definitely want a good culture. I want a culture to fit me and the people at the school to fit my values. I want the offense to utilize the tight end well and I want to be able to fit well as a player… Coaching-wise, I want a tight end coach who will coach me hard, hold me accountable and also a person who I can be relaxed around, comfortable to have a conversation with. I would say those are the three main things and then also a big one is I want to have the chance to win a championship.”

For now, he also has offers from Florida, Alabama, Miami, USC, and Tennessee.

Other programs are eager to land Grant Haviland!

Grant Haviland is not just another player on the field. He can disrupt defenses whether it be as an in-line tight end or stretching the field as a wide receiver. He is versatile with great blocking skills and is a reliable target for QBs. Plus, his route running is sharp. No wonder Sherrone Moore, Kirby Smart, and Steve Sarkisian are also eying the four-star recruit. And his recruiting buzz has only grown with more with 38 offers in hand.

Michigan HC Sherrone Moore is keen to land Haviland. Bryce Underwood and the 2023 national championship surely work as a linchpin for the Wolverines to attract recruits. On the other hand, Kirby Smart (Georgia) is also keeping tabs on him. Although he lost Jackson Cantwell to Miami, it didn’t deter the Bulldogs from keeping going. When Haviland visited Athens, he was awestruck by the packed O-line. “Obviously, Brock Bowers, Oscar Delp, Lawson Luckie, all the great tight ends that they’ve been having recently. So it was really exciting,” he said.

Alabama and Auburn are also on the quest to land him. “This offer means a lot to me, especially after watching them in the past and how dominant they’ve been; I like how they utilize multiple tight ends,” Haviland told Touchdown Alabama abou Kalen DeBoer’s program in February. And as for Auburn, he has visited the campus six times, dating back to his first visit in November 2023.