Notre Dame has strengthened its recruiting department by appointing Jourdan Blake as director of player personnel. Blake, who previously served as Colorado’s assistant director of player personnel/high school relations, played a key role in reshaping the Buffaloes’ roster under Deion Sanders.
Notre Dame Poaches Top Recruiter Jourdan Blake from Deion Sanders’ Colorado Staff
Notre Dame has bolstered its recruiting department by hiring Blake as director of player personnel. His arrival in South Bend comes after significant turnover within Notre Dame’s recruiting staff, with Chad Bowden and Zaire Turner heading to USC and Caleb Davis taking a position at San Diego State.
Notre Dame has hired Colorado’s Jourdan Blake as its next Director of Player Personnel –
Blake held recruiting positions at SMU and TCU, as well as a scouting position for the Houston Texans before his time at Colorado.
📸: SMU Athletics pic.twitter.com/n5j78nPGmO
— The Irish Tribune (@TheIrishTribune) March 18, 2025
Blake will now work under general manager Mike Martin, who joined Notre Dame in February from the Detroit Lions. Acknowledging his limited recruiting background, Martin emphasized the importance of experienced staff members like Blake.
“I’ve done some recruiting, but it’s undrafted rookie free agents, or it’s recruiting guys in free agency,” Martin admitted. “I will lean heavily on my staff. Fortunately, I’ve walked into this awesome staff that they’re well versed in the recruiting world, and so really, I’m coming in saying, ‘Hey, where can I add value?’”
Blake joins a reshaped recruiting team that includes newly promoted director of recruiting Carter Auman, director of scouting Matt Jansen, on-campus recruiting coordinator Becca Sites, and high school relations analyst Deland McCullough. Notre Dame also recently hired Ariella Ellis from Virginia State.
Before his stint at Colorado, Blake held multiple recruiting positions. He was SMU’s director of recruiting operations from 2022-23 and previously served as recruiting coordinator for the Mustangs from 2019-21.
In between, he worked as TCU’s recruiting coordinator in 2022, the year the Horned Frogs reached the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Additionally, he gained NFL experience with the Houston Texans as a scouting intern in 2024.
Blake played at Baylor (2014-17) and SMU (2018) as a former defensive back, primarily contributing on special teams. He is also the son of former Oklahoma head coach John Blake, who led the Sooners from 1996-98.
Despite offseason departures, Notre Dame remains a powerhouse, ranked No. 4 in ESPN’s way-too-early 2025 rankings. Meanwhile, Colorado continues to rebuild, securing 14 recruits in its 2025 class but awaiting its first 2026 commitment.
Furthermore, Sanders has hired former NFL quarterback and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich to join Colorado’s coaching staff. Leftwich, who won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2020, previously served as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2023.
KEEP READING: Colorado HC Deion Sanders Suggests Joint Spring with Syracuse, Talks Bigger Impact
Before joining Colorado, Leftwich interviewed for multiple NFL coaching jobs, including the New England Patriots’ head coaching position.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!
