After falling short in the national championship game last year, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman hit the recruiting trail hard. His hard work paid off, and Freeman put together an impressive recruiting class.
Who is the Fighting Irish’s top recruit? Where does the program rank nationally? And who makes up the 2026 Notre Dame football recruiting class?
Who Is the Top Recruit in the 2026 Notre Dame Football Recruiting Class?
Freeman and his staff traveled across the country to assemble this class, including multiple five-star recruits from different states. The Fighting Irish’s offensive line went through a transition this year, and the 2026 season will also feature some new faces. So their top recruit of the class could be a factor.
Rdoney Dunham chose Notre Dame over Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, and Duke. The 6’4″, 227-pound edge rusher helps the Irish continue their talented play at the position and is just one of many promising defensive recruits in this class.
Where Does the 2026 Notre Dame Class Rank Nationally?
The 2026 Notre Dame football recruiting class ranks third overall nationally, as per 247 Sports. The signed four five-star recruits, 19 four-star recruits, and four three-star recruits for a total of 27 signees. They tied for first with the number of five-star recruits signed, and sit behind only USC and Oregon nationally.
This class marks a monumental moment for Freeman, as it’s his best class since becoming the head coach at Notre Dame. His past two classes fell short of the Top 10, so this was a massive win for the staff. Notre Dame also didn’t see any of their recruits decommit, making signing day as stressless as possible.
Notre Dame Football’s Recruiting Class, 2026
- Rodney Dunham, EDGE, Myers Park (Charlotte, NC)
- Ian Premer, TE, Great Bend (Great Bend, KS)
- Joey O’Brien, SAF, La Salle College (Wyndmoor, PA)
- Khary Adams, CB, Loyola Blakefield (Towson, MD)
- Ayden Pouncey, SAF, Winter Park (Winter Park, FL)
- Ben Nichols, OT, Davison (Davison, MI)
- Grayon McKeogh, OT, La Salle College (Wyndmoor, PA)
- Ebenezer Ewetade, EDGE, South Garner (Garner, NC)
- Jonaz Walton, RB, Central (Carrollton, GA)
- Javian Osborne, RB, Forney (Forney, TX)
- Devin Fitzgerald, WR, Brophy College Preparatory (Phoenix, AZ)
- Elijah Golden, DL, Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota, FL)
- Tyler Merrill, IOL, Cumberland Valley (Mechanicsburg, PA)
- Gregory Patrick, OT, Portage Northern (Portage, MI)
- Kayden Finley, WR, Aledo (Aledo, TX)
- Chaston Smith, CB, Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, TN)
- Thomas Davis Jr., LB, Weddington (Matthews, NC)
- Bubba Frazier, WR, Benedictine Military School (Savannah, GA)
- Brayden Robinson, WR, Red Oak (Red Oak, TX)
- Jakobe Clapper, LB, St. Xavier (Cincinnati, OH)
- Charlie Thom, OT, Avon Old Farms (Avon, CT)
- Noah Grubbs, QB, Lake Mary (Lake Mary, FL)
- Preston Fryzel, TE, Central Catholic (Toledo, OH)
- Tiki Hola, DL, Bastrop (Bastrop, TX)
- Sullivan Garvin, IOL, Allegan (Allegan, MI)
- Dylan Faison, WR, Saint Andrew’s (Boca Raton, FL)
- Nick Reddish, SAF, Independence (Charlotte, NC)
