MIAMI — Sedrick Irvin Jr. took his first carry as a Miami (Fla.) Columbus Explorer on Friday night, and all eyes of the North Miami Beach defense were on No. 14.
He was hit right at the line of scrimmage, stiff-arming one defender to the turf before keeping his legs churning for a few more yards. His helmet was ripped off, and there was a slight smirk on his face before he popped it back on. He would score two touchdowns in his debut for the program after spending time at Gulliver Prep.
The fresh start went about as well as onlookers could have hoped, something the Irvin family is looking forward to seeing on the recruiting trail as well. One week before the spring game, a longtime commitment between Notre Dame and Irvin Jr. went south, pushing the prospect back on the open market.
As the 5'11", 194-pound running back announced the next step that Friday, he spoke to his inner circle ahead of the de-commitment. Coaches from the Irish did not connect with Irvin, according to those at the school, as they efforted coaches at Columbus along with Irvin's father, former NFL running back and longtime coach Sedrick Irvin Sr.
The Miami native, who had been committed since September 2021, had his offer all but pulled by the new Irish coaching staff, now under the command of Marcus Freeman.
“Some things happened; so it’s good to keep my options open and find a better fit for myself,” Irvin Jr. says.
While coaches can’t comment on a prospective college athlete until a National Letter of Intent has been signed, Irvin Sr., now coaching the running backs at Columbus, went a bit deeper in speaking to Sports Illustrated.
“I got a text from the recruiting coordinator to tell me if I can talk to him and the running backs coach,” Irvin Sr. says. “I knew what it was already about. They got a new running backs coach [Deland McCullough], who didn’t recruit Sed when he was at Indiana. He had guys he was already recruiting and he also brought a kid that was committed to Indiana [Gi’Bran Payne] to Notre Dame. He got him to de-commit.
"When you do that, I already knew something was up."
Irvin Sr. admitted he has little issue with the business side of recruiting, as coaching changes and philosophies can change the pecking order of top targets and even verbal commitments from cycle to cycle. His issue was with the procedure Notre Dame operated with before initiating the departure.
“The head coach [Freeman] told Columbus head coach, ‘We’re going to honor Sed’s commitment.’” Irvin Sr. says. “Then my wife and my son went to the spring game [April 23]. Then the running backs coach [McCullough] came down here last week. If you had any problems, out of respect, you could have said it then.
“The situation that happened … that’s just life experience,” Irvin Sr. continued. “If anything, it’s going to bring the beast out of him. It’s not the end of the world. You’ve still got other options. Everybody doesn’t marry their first girlfriend. For me, I’m glad it happened; that wasn’t one of my first choices for him. Also, you want him to go through a little adversity—if you want to call it that—because as soon as he put it on Twitter, you get 17 other offers. It was cool.”
Irvin Jr. confirmed droves of programs reestablished contact in the week following the public de-commitment, from Oregon to Stanford, Pitt, Louisville, Maryland, Duke, Nebraska, Arizona and others.
The move is profiling like a total reset with his recruiting process.
John Garcia, Jr.
“It’s different,” Irvin Jr. says. “It kind of feels like I’m starting all over again. But it’s nothing I can’t get used to. I’m just excited for the summer, where I’ll take a couple of visits.”
Trips to Louisville and Stanford look likely this summer, when Irvin Jr. will begin to take official visits, including one where the position coach he once committed to is currently employed.
“Coach Lance [Taylor], he was the coach that was recruiting me at Notre Dame,” he says. “I don’t know too much [of Louisville], but I’m ready to get up there. I’m really excited to see what they have.”
With a GPA north of 4.0 through three years of high school, Stanford has also had a coach with a longstanding relationship with the rising senior prospect.
“I’ve had a strong relationship with coach [Ron] Gould throughout my whole recruiting process, so that’s one of the strongest draws to them,” Irvin Jr. says. “Then, obviously, the success they’ve had with running backs and players overall.
“I’m just looking for the best fit, best relationship. An opportunity to go somewhere and work hard and try to find a team that I can fit into.”
Irvin Jr. says there is no time line for another verbal commitment, though he will shift his focus thereafter working into a new offensive system and with a new program this spring.
Admittedly motivated on both football and recruiting fronts, he made a strong debut with the Explorers in a pair of scoring runs in a 21–0 shutout Friday, breaking tackles along the way.
“It’s been a really long time, or at least it’s felt like forever since I played,” Irvin Jr. says. “It just feels great to get back in uniform, work with the guys and become a family in the short time I’ve been here. I wasn’t where I wanted to be at so this year I’m definitely taking it to the next level.
“It just felt great; it’s like a family here. It’s a vibe, from the crowd.”
A starter at Gulliver Prep since his freshman football season, amassing nearly 2,000 total yards and 31 touchdowns while averaging more than six yards per carry against South Florida competition, Irvin Jr. carries himself with a quiet intensity. He is doing so in 2022 even as the new player on a Columbus roster often associated with high expectations.
Irvin Sr., who ran for 3,500-plus yards and 35 touchdowns at Michigan State in the late 1990s, is a bit more up-front about how the process has worked out. He feels more maturity and calculation, as well as natural motivation, will eventually come from being pushed out of Notre Dame’s class of 2023.
“I’m hoping it’s one of those situations where it brings you from a boy to a young man,” Irvin Sr. says. “You’re pissed off and now you want to be great at everything you do. He’s gained some good weight, added muscle, so it’s going to bring another beast out of him.”
