Notre Dame football recruiting: Redfield picks Notre Dame

A former USC verbal commitment has now pledged to Notre Dame.

Safety Max Redfield from Mission Viejo, Calif., announced his commitment to the Irish in front of a national audience on ESPN during Friday’s Under Armour All-America Game in St. Petersburg, Fla.

"Next year I’ll be joining the No. 1 team in the country and attending the University of Notre Dame," Redfield said on the ESPN broadcast.

The top-five safety prospect becomes the 23rd verbal commitment in the nearly full 2013 Irish recruiting class.

An official visit to Notre Dame in October for the Stanford game made Redfield reevaluate his recruitment. He decommitted from USC in November and considered Washington, Oregon and Ohio State as other potential options.

Redfield ranks as the No. 3 safety recruit on Rivals.com and the No. 24 prospect regardless of position. 247Sports.com slates Redfield as the fifth-best safety and at No. 44 in the 2013 recruiting class overall.

He joins cornerbacks Cole Luke, Devin Butler, and Rashad Kinlaw as defensive backs in Notre Dame’s 2013 recruiting class.