5-Star SF Jalen Haralson Commits to Notre Dame; Irish's Highest-Ranked CBB Recruit

Jalen Haralson, the No. 13 overall recruit in the Class of 2025, committed to Notre Dame on Wednesday, according to Eric Bossi of 247Sports.

The 5-star small forward is the highest-ranked recruit in the Internet rankings era.

"Me and my family had a really tough decision because we had three great schools but ultimately, I feel like staying home was the best option and going up to South Bend and Notre Dame," Haralson told Bossi. "The main thing was [head coach Micah Shrewsberry's] development. We watched a lot of film, we have similar mindsets and I feel like he trusts me with my game."

"Even when I was down with injury, he was there for me and was the most involved coach," he continued. "He was there for me. He saw the vision. He was here, he was at almost all of my games and he was at La Lumiere a lot. I felt wanted by him and I feel like he trusts my game so i'm just excited to get there and show off my talents in the ACC."

Haralson chose Notre Dame over Indiana and Michigan State, joining 4-star small forward Brady Koehler in the Fighting Irish's 2025 recruiting class. He noted that he had "love" for both the Hoosiers and Spartans, but that Shrewsberry's vision for his game was ultimately the deciding factor.

"He has big goals and he's going to expect a lot out of me," he told Bossi. "He wants me to come in and be disruptive on the offensive and defensive end and be a problem. Be constant with rim attacks, be able to hit shots off the catch, post up. He kind of sees me as a Jalen Pickett. That's the closest guy he's had to compare to me. It was a very tough decision but ultimately i felt like that was the best option for me and my family."

Pickett, now a second-year guard for the Denver Nuggets, spent five seasons in college for Siena and Penn State, averaging 15.3 points, 5.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds in his college career.

Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports described Haralson as a "playmaking big wing, and maybe even a jumbo initiator, who combines terrific perimeter size, strength, and measurables along with the ability to create for himself and others."

If he can improve his jump shot, Haralson should be a major problem on both ends of the floor. His addition is a fantastic one for Notre Dame.