Top Notre Dame 2026 recruiting target receives massive bump in On3 Industry ranking to earn 5-star status
Notre Dame football is in a strange place in regards to 2026 defensive line recruiting. Marcus Freeman, Al Washington, and the rest of the staff have seemingly done a tremendous job attracting a long list of talented players both off the edge and the interior, but we are still waiting for the first commit in […]
Notre Dame football is in a strange place in regards to 2026 defensive line recruiting. Marcus Freeman, Al Washington, and the rest of the staff have seemingly done a tremendous job attracting a long list of talented players both off the edge and the interior, but we are still waiting for the first commit in the class.
Since very early on in the cycle, Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park pass rusher Rodney Dunham is a player that Notre Dame has valued at a high level. For people that hyperfocus on star ratings, you’ll love the recent news for Dunham. In a recent ranking update on the On3 Consensus ranking, Dunham now sits as a five-star player and the No. 19 overall player in the 2026 class.
Dunham is a priority recruit for the Irish, and he is no stranger to the program, having visited South Bend multiple times. He has already set up a return visit for the end of March.
In an interview Dunham’s father did with On3 vice president Rodney Dunham recently, he spoke very highly of Notre Dame and their standing with his son. “He wants to go there and of course he’s excited they just played in the National Championship game,” his father told Wiltfong.
“They’ve always been top on my list but now this might bump them up to the top spot,” Dunham himself said after Notre Dame beat Penn State in the semifinal. “Need to start visiting them more in the near future.”
Dunham is considered a consensus four-star recruit by every major recruiting platform, and is nearly a top 50 overall player by each as well. 247Sports is especially high on Dunham, currently ranked as the No. 9 overall player and No. 2 EDGE in the 2026 recruiting class. That ranking also has Dunham pegged as the No. 2 player in the state of North Carolina.
There is a long list of outstanding programs that are pushing for Dunham. The 6-4, 230-pound pass rusher currently holds offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Auburn, and Florida State among many, many others.
As a junior, Dunham recorded 29 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, five sacks, 16 quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, and a blocked kick for Myers Park. Dunham is also a tremendous baseball player for his school, and could explore options to play both on the next level.
There are some Notre Dame fans who have been constantly negative about the Irish not getting enough five-star players in the past. Let’s hope that Dunham can help to change that narrative.
