Notre Dame has had an influence on Canadian-born athletes in recent years. This comprises Chase Claypool, Devan Houstan, Armel Mukam, and Sean Sevillano. On Thursday, Rabun Gap (Ga.) Nacoochee School star linebacker Antoine Deslauriers received an offer, adding another Canadian-born athlete to the 2025 roster.
Deslauriers played his debut season in the United States in 2023. Despite his minimal exposure, the 6-1, 225-pound defender has received a lot of attention in recent months. He currently has offers from the Fighting Irish, Miami, Oklahoma, Florida State, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri, NC State, Maryland, Louisville, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, UCF, and Duke, among others. That list is expected to become much longer in the future. Deslauriers is simply taking it day by day, learning as he goes.
“It has been an interesting process,” Deslauriers told Irish Breakdown. “For the most part, the coaches just want to learn more about me since I have a unique process. I’ve learned a lot the more conversations I’ve had. I’m just really fortunate to be in the position I am.”
If you go back few months, Deslauriers would never have imagined he’d be where he is now. He never imagined Notre Dame would make him an offer. Today was an important day in his recruitment. “Being a Canadian football player and after only one season in the states, I got to say it feels pretty good to be recognized by a top football and academic program like Notre Dame,” the athlete stated. Max Bullough extended the offer to Deslauriers on Thursday. He has already had an influence on the Canadian star.
“He talked about my explosiveness, my speed, how aggressive I am on the field, my ability to read plays, and my size,” Deslauriers said. “We also chatted a lot about football, and I was able to share a little of my football knowledge with him. He also spoke with my coach about my in-class performance and how I can fully contribute to the program.
“We had about a 30 to 35 minute conversation, just talking about football and explaining to me who he was as a person,” Deslauriers said. “We had an excellent connection. I’m thrilled to start that connection.” Deslauriers will be busy for the next few months as he works on getting up and visiting various schools. His family lives in Canada, thus his trips will be with Derek White, his head coach. South Bend is a destination he is thrilled to visit.
