Freeman Frenzy: Irish Striking Gold in 2026 Class

(Photo credit: Chad Ryan)

Four-star after four-star, with a few elusive five-stars sprinkled in, Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame are on a recruiting tear. With the nation’s No. 3 class for 2026, the Irish have capitalized on the momentum of their national championship appearance to assemble one of the deepest and most talented group of verbal commits in program history.

Coming off the national spotlight of a title-game run, Freeman’s staff has made it tough for recruits to say no. Notre Dame has been winning head-to-head battles against traditional powers, pulling top prospects away from Michigan, Penn State, Alabama, and Georgia.

Here’s a breakdown of the 2026 class of verbal commits so far (rankings via 247Sports):

Quarterback

The Irish secured one passer in this class, a big, athletic quarterback with advanced mechanics.

Noah Grubbs (4⭐) – Chose Notre Dame over Michigan, Miami, and North Carolina. The 6’4”, 205-pound QB from Lake Mary, Florida is ranked the No. 19 QB and No. 262 overall player in the 2026 class.

Running Back

Notre Dame added two of the best backs in the country, continuing its tradition as “RBU.”

Javian Osborne (4⭐) – Picked Notre Dame over Michigan. At 5’10”, 200 pounds, from Forney, Texas, Osborne is the No. 8 RB and No. 94 overall player in his class.
Jonaz Walton (4⭐) – Chose the Irish over Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, and Stanford. At 5’9.5”, 205 pounds, from Carrollton, Georgia, Walton is ranked the No. 10 RB and No. 111 overall player.

Wide Receiver

With five commitments, Notre Dame’s 2026 receiver class is one of the deepest in the country.

Kaydon Finley (4⭐) – Selected Notre Dame over Texas, Texas A&M, and Arizona State. The 6’0”, 200-pound WR from Aledo, Texas is ranked the No. 15 WR and No. 123 overall player.
Bubba Frazier (4⭐) – Picked Notre Dame over Georgia, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. At 5’10”, 180 pounds, from Savannah, Georgia, Frazier is ranked the No. 42 WR and No. 254 overall player. On his decision: “I picked Notre Dame because I know they’re going to develop me on and off the field. Great academics with a great football program go hand in hand. The relationship with the coaches and recruiting staff stood out the most to me.”
Braydon Robinson (4⭐) – Turned down Arizona and Miami for Notre Dame. The 5’8”, 160-pound WR from Red Oak, Texas is ranked the No. 57 WR and No. 384 overall player.
Devin Fitzgerald (3⭐) – The son of Hall of Fame WR Larry Fitzgerald chose Notre Dame over UCLA, Clemson, and Stanford. The 6’2”, 205-pound WR is ranked the No. 72 WR and No. 472 overall player.
Dylan Faison (3⭐) – Younger brother of current Irish dual-sport standout Jordan Faison. The 5’11”, 170-pound WR from Boca Raton, Florida is the No. 129 WR and No. 906 overall player.

Tight End

Tight end remains a staple of Notre Dame’s offense, and this class adds two more promising prospects.

Ian Premer (4⭐) – Picked Notre Dame over Kansas, Kansas State, and Iowa State. The 6’5”, 220-pound TE from Great Bend, Kansas is the No. 3 TE and No. 32 overall player in the class.
Preston Fryzel (3⭐) – Selected the Irish over Miami and Iowa. The 6’4”, 220-pound TE from Toledo, Ohio is ranked the No. 21 TE and No. 451 overall player.

Offensive Line

This may be the most impressive unit of the 2026 class — a talented and already close-knit group.

Gregory Patrick (4⭐) – Picked Notre Dame over Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State. The 6’4.5”, 275-pound OT from Portage, Michigan is the No. 17 OT and No. 201 overall player.
Tyler Merrill (4⭐) – Turned down Alabama, Penn State, and Clemson. The 6’5”, 338-pound IOL from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania is ranked the No. 7 IOL and No. 115 overall player.
Ben Nichols (3⭐) – Chose Notre Dame over Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan State. The 6’5”, 315-pound IOL is ranked the No. 37 IOL and No. 512 overall player.
Grayson McKeogh (3⭐) – Turned down his hometown school Penn State. The 6’7”, 275-pound OT from Glenside, Pennsylvania is the No. 16 OT and No. 198 overall player.
Sullivan Garvin (3⭐) – Picked the Irish over Indiana, Kansas, Washington, and Purdue. The 6’5”, 300-pound IOL from Allegan, Michigan is ranked the No. 38 IOL and No. 454 overall player. On his decision: “Notre Dame is O-line U. The academics are among the best, and the love I got from the staff was unmatched. What stood out most was how close everyone is on the team, including our class.”
Charlie Thom (3⭐) – Selected Notre Dame over Penn State, Boston College, Michigan State, and Stanford. The 6’6”, 275-pound OT from Avon, Connecticut is the No. 75 OT and No. 906 overall player.

Edge Rusher

The Irish landed two of the top pass rushers in the country.

Rodney Dunham (5⭐) – Chose Notre Dame over Georgia, Tennessee, and Duke. The 6’4”, 227-pound EDGE from Charlotte, North Carolina is the No. 3 EDGE and No. 14 overall player in the 2026 class.
Ebenezer Ewetade (4⭐) – Picked the Irish over Alabama, Georgia, and NC State. The 6’4”, 221-pound EDGE from Garner, North Carolina is ranked the No. 17 EDGE and No. 144 overall player.

Safety

One of the best safety groups in the nation, highlighted by a five-star headliner.

Joey O’Brien (5⭐) – Selected Notre Dame over Penn State, Clemson, and Oregon. The 6’3”, 185-pound safety from Glenside, Pennsylvania is the No. 6 S and No. 45 overall player.
Ayden Pouncey (4⭐) – Chose the Irish over Michigan, Florida, and LSU. The 6’2.5”, 160-pound safety from Winter Park, Florida is ranked the No. 10 S and No. 122 overall player.
Nick Reddish (3⭐) – Picked Notre Dame over Indiana, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin. The 5’11”, 185-pound safety from Charlotte, North Carolina is the No. 55 S and No. 724 overall player.

Cornerback

Notre Dame secured both a top-ranked shutdown corner and a high-upside developmental player.

Khary Adams (4⭐) – Picked Notre Dame over Penn State, Michigan, Oregon, and South Carolina. The 6’2”, 175-pound CB from Towson, Maryland is the No. 1 CB and No. 22 overall player in the 2026 class.
Chaston Smith (3⭐) – Selected the Irish over Clemson, Texas A&M, South Carolina, and Indiana. The 6’1”, 175-pound CB from Chattanooga, Tennessee is the No. 25 CB and No. 289 overall player.

Linebacker

A physical, athletic group with huge upside.

Thomas Davis Jr. (4⭐) – Turned down Ohio State, Tennessee, and Michigan. The 6’2”, 205-pound LB from Matthews, North Carolina is ranked the No. 10 LB and No. 213 overall player.
Jakobe Clapper (3⭐) – Chose Notre Dame over Ohio State, Oregon, and Michigan. The 6’1.5”, 215-pound LB from Cincinnati, Ohio is ranked the No. 32 LB and No. 454 overall player.

Defensive Line

Two versatile linemen who could anchor the front for years to come.

Elijah Golden (4⭐) – Selected Notre Dame over Alabama, Oklahoma, and Virginia Tech. The 6’4”, 275-pound DL from Sarasota, Florida is the No. 23 DL and No. 162 overall player.
Tiki Hola (3⭐) – Picked the Irish over USC and SMU. The 6’2”, 285-pound DL from Bastrop, Texas is ranked the No. 43 DL and No. 368 overall player.

Final Thoughts

From quarterback to defensive line, this 2026 class is balanced, deep, and full of star power. Marcus Freeman has not only elevated Notre Dame on the field but also turned the Irish into a recruiting juggernaut, building a roster that can compete with anyone in the country.

With the No. 3 class nationally — and 2027 already off to a strong start — Notre Dame isn’t just building for today. Freeman is setting the program up for long-term success, and this class could one day be remembered as the foundation of a championship era in South Bend.

ByCaleb Conrad