Notre Dame football: Where top 10 recruits of the 2000s are now

No. 2 – Manti Te’o 

Te’o’s 247Sports Composite rating of 0.9977 makes him the second highest-rated Notre Dame recruit of the 2000s. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound ILB graduated from Punahou School (Honolulu, HI) in the Class of 2009. 

Te’o didn’t disappoint in the hype as he went on to become a Heisman Trophy finalist for his senior season at Notre Dame in 2012 when he led the Fighting Irish with 113 total tackles (55 of them were solo). 

The 32-year-old announced his retirement from football in June 2023. The second-round pick of the 2013 NFL Draft played eight years in the NFL. In terms of the future, Te’o has stated that he wants to help others on their mental health journey – which is likely inspired by his infamous catfish controversy. 

“I’m playing a different game now,” Te’o told TMZ. “I’m trying to empower people. Trying to inspire people. That’s the game that I’m playing now, and I’m trying to be the best at that.”