It doesn’t take too long to realize you’re watching a special player when Jeffery is on the field. Against Prep, he was matched up with George Hawley George Hawley 6'4" | 190 lbs | D | Right Hand Choate Rosemary Hall | 2025 #96 Nation CT . Hawley often draws the opponent’s lefty, in this case, it was Jeffery. The Notre Dame-bound attackman, a midfielder by trade, was a dodging machine, although the Prep defense stifled him early. He got his first goal of the game in the second quarter when a pick switched his matchup and he was able to run by his man and score. He finished the first half with just one goal but worked out his frustrations in the third quarter. In that period alone, he had three goals, an assist, and caused turnovers on the ride. Jeffery operates at a speed that not many high players have. He faced jeers and heckling from the student section all night and was unbothered, finishing with six goals and two assists. Jeffery, as much as he is capable of dominating on his own, still takes what the defense gives him. Because he draws slides so easily, he is often carrying the ball against an unsettled defense with skip lanes available. This is what happened as time wound down in regulation. Jeffery dodged off an end line restart in the corner to his left, and a slide came as he approached GLE. He fired a skip pass to Nick Miller who had all day to shoot, and buried it with three seconds left to force overtime.

An electric athlete, Jeffery is likely to wind up in the No. 1 spot in the final Class of 2024 rankings, and for good reason. Jeffery, who will also play football for the Irish, has continued to elevate his game over the past two seasons and has become even more dynamic since the summer before his recruitment. At that point, the knock on Jeffery was his dependence on his left hand. After a while, defenses knew he was going left-to-left, but once he put his foot in the ground with a violent jab step, there was no stopping him. That continues to be the case, however, it’s apparent just how much confidence he has developed when attacking with his right hand. He’s able to stretch defenses with his outside shot and range, but he’s also incredibly dangerous as a passer (where you can see the basketball influence) and consistently opens up scoring chances for his teammates due to the amount of attention Jeffery draws. The best players are the ones that can be moved around within an offense and have success no matter what, and Jeffery fits into that category.

Looking back at the past five recruiting cycles, it’s hard to think of another midfield prospect who has created separation as effortlessly as Jeffery does, and only Jordan Faison comes to mind. I still kick myself for not ranking Faison higher than No. 48, and perhaps I overthought it, feeling as though he’d be at a disadvantage coming into the spring after missing fall ball while suiting up (and thriving) for the football team. Well, athletes are athletes, and there’s no doubt that Faison’s situation has changed the way I think about how Jeffery projects in South Bend. With the Irish set to graduate most of their top six on offense, he could step in and team up with Faison on the first line right away, a possibility that must put a smile on Kevin Corrigan’s face.