Former Notre Dame QB Daniel Novakov discusses Irish offer to 2029 passer Logan Lucero

Dallas Parish Episcopal School has had quite the run of quarterback prospects in recent years, going from former class of 2021 four-star quarterback Preston Stone to turning the keys over to class of 2025 passer Sawyer Anderson, a three-star who started all four seasons for the Panthers (2021-24), as did Stone (2017-20).

Having back-to-back four-year starting quarterbacks is unheard of, and Episcopal head coach Daniel Novakov, a six-time state champion and former Notre Dame signal-caller in the early 2000s, is set to do it again.

Novakov’s quarterback for his 2025 Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) Division I state championship squad was Logan Lucero, who had an incredible freshman season. He connected on 147 of 235 attempts for 2,478 yards with 27 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in 13 games.

The class of 2029 prospect is a “combination of Anderson and Stone,” according to Novakov, who raved about his 6-3.5, 227-pound star quarterback.

“He has the physical traits, and he throws the ball freakishly well,” Novakov told Blue & Gold. “It’s unique to have the arm talent he does, and he also ran a 10.9 in the 100 meters as an eighth grader. It was wind-aided, but I don’t care, that is fast for that age.

“For a freshman to come in and win a state championship is really difficult. We asked him to do a lot, and he was able to handle those responsibilities. He’s very mature in that way. A lot of people were expecting us to rebuild for a year, and we were definitely good last year, but I didn’t think we were the odds-on favorite to win it all.

“A lot of that you can contribute to Logan — and several other kids too — but his ability to not miss a beat from Sawyer to him is impressive. He picked it up fast. We didn’t have to dumb anything down for him. He’s a very smart kid; he’s a 4.0 student.”

Notre Dame one to watch in Lucero’s recruitment

Lucero’s first scholarship came from the former Utah staff now at Michigan, back in the summer of 2025. He picked up a few more offers in the fall, and his recruitment took off when the calendar flipped to 2026.

He added offers during the January contact period, and his recruitment erupted during the spring contact period with Georgia, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Notre Dame and Oklahoma, among others, joining his offer sheet.

Lucero’s father, Lucas, was a defensive lineman for Boston College in the early 2000s, and he comes from a Catholic family. Notre Dame offering the young Lucero a scholarship on May 5 was a big moment.

“That’s an offer he wanted and was elated to get it,” Novakov added. “Their Catholicism is a big part of their identity and life, so Notre Dame is a huge deal and means a lot.”

Irish quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli has a longstanding relationship with Novakov, and they had been in contact about Lucero, making the offer not come as a surprise.

“I’ve been talking to Gino about Logan for a long time; I think I even showed him Logan’s middle school film,” Novakov said. “He had been telling me all offseason that he’d come down to see Logan throw and that if everything checked out, he’d offer.”

At the end of April, Guidugli offered his first few quarterback prospects in the 2027 class. He’s known as one of the most detail-oriented and patient quarterback coaches in the country. Since joining the Notre Dame staff in March 2023, he has never offered a freshman signal-caller, but that’s changed now.

“That means a lot to Logan,” Novakov added.

When Guidugli was a recruit coming out of Ft. Thomas (Ky.) Highlands, he took an official visit to Notre Dame before he ended up signing with the Cincinnati Bearcats. Novakov first met Guidugli during the visit. They’ve kept in contact over the years and have many mutual connections in the coaching world.

“He’s a friend and a great dude,” Novakov added. “He’s someone you want to hang out with and go to dinner with. He’s one of the best quarterbacks coaches in the country, without a doubt. He’s one of my favorite people when he comes through.”