Why Notre Dame is already a contender for newly offered athlete Dalen Penson
Dalen Penson has become used to the recognition and awards. The 2025 class athlete from Tyrone (Ga.) Sandy Creek — whom Notre Dame football offered Wednesday night — is a decorated track and field performer.
The 5-foot-11, 165-pounder is a Georgia High School 3A champion in the state’s triple jump with a 45-foot, 10-inch mark. He also finished as a runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles with a 14.21-second time.
Penson used his track and field background to dominate Sunday’s Under Armour Next’s Football Camp in Atlanta. He registered a 4.48-second 40-yard dash and a 4.13 in the shuttle. His shuttle time was so good it would have ranked third among wide receivers and second among defensive backs at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, the positions that football coaches scout him to play in college.
He also recorded a 36-foot, 9-inch vertical and a 128-foot, 1-inch broad jump — both competitive NFL Combine marks.
Still, Penson was skeptical about how beneficial his Under Armor camp stats were. Then, Fighting Irish director of recruiting Chad Bowden gave him a phone call.
“It was unexpected and surprising,” Penson told Blue & Gold.
Bowden offered Penson a scholarship as a true positionless “athlete,” giving him another staple on his already esteemed résumé. Penson, who has 12 other football offers, said his one from the Irish already stuck out.
“Me and my parents were very excited and happy,” he said. “We know it’s a big school and a great school to get a degree from. We were all very excited.”
Dalen Penson’s college football recruitment is just beginning
Before Notre Dame offered, Penson’s only “Core Four” (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) offers were from nearby Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. He’s visited Georgia and UCF, but neither school has offered him … yet. He does not hold an On3 or On3 Industry Ranking rating.
Irish running backs coach Deland McCullough saw Penson in person during the NCAA’s January recruiting contact period. However, Notre Dame waited until after the Under Armour camp to give him a scholarship.
While Penson is still learning about Notre Dame, previously seeing one of the school’s football coaches in person helped him familiarize himself with the storied football program in South Bend, Ind. Hearing about McCullough’s success in the NFL ranks also did not hurt.
“(McCullough) told us about his background and story,” Penson said. “He showed us this cool montage video of all the Chiefs players praising him and Coach (Andy) Reid talking him up. A lot of the players, like Clyde Edwards-Helaire, were coming off a Super Bowl win (after the 2022 season).
“I was thinking about that the day of the Super Bowl. That was pretty cool because I knew he was watching his old team. And I was like, ‘Hey, the Notre Dame coach!’ I remember he showed us that video of the Chiefs. I just thought that was cool.”
Part of McCullough’s visit to Penson’s high school was for area recruiting purposes. The Irish are unsure of how they want to recruit him positionally. The junior football recruit said half the teams that offered him see him as a cornerback, while the other half like him at wide receiver.
Last season for Sandy Creek, Penson played some quarterback. He completed 82-154 passes for 1,052 yards, 8 touchdowns and 7 interceptios. He was an effective runner, racking up 814 yards and 8 scores on 103 carries.
Two Notre Dame visits are already in the works for Penson
By watching him compete in person, Notre Dame could determine Penson’s college position. So, Bowden invited him to participate in one of the program’s camps. Penson has tentative plans to make it to campus for one of those sessions in June.
“We have that date down,” he said. “After we got off the phone, I told my parents about it, and my dad was cool. He said, ‘Yeah, we can do that.’ He said we could travel up there to participate in that.”
Before that trip, Penson also eyes an initial visit sometime this spring. That one is less certain but could be finalized before this month’s end.
“I don’t have a set date for that yet,” he said. “(Bowden) sent me a calendar with dates. I’ll be able to decide when I’ll be able to get up there before the camp in June. It will probably take a week just before we get that all situated.”
If Penson visits Notre Dame, it will be his first college recruiting visit in the Midwest. Previously, he’s reported trips to Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Troy and Vanderbilt. Getting up to campus to see the Irish in person is a priority. Whether that trip becomes Penson one day dominating for the Irish as he did the Under Armour camp will be up to him to determine.
“Notre Dame is not only a big athletic school, but they’re also academically well-rounded,” Penson said. “I will look into the academics of each school that offered me and is recruiting me because I want to be set after football.
“We all know football doesn’t last forever. I wish for my football career to last in the NFL and be that successful where I don’t have to work a job. But I would like to be able to come out (of college) to work a good job with a good degree from a good university.”
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