Notre Dame football fighting hard not to lose top defensive commit – Several big time programs continue to push hard for Ace Alston
Notre Dame is in threat of losing one of their very best 2027 recruiting commits.
When Notre Dame secondary coach Mike Mickens left for a position with the Baltimore Ravens this offseason, it left a massive hole on the back end for head coach Marcus Freeman to fill. The Fighting Irish arguably have the best secondary returning in college football next season, which is a testament to what Mickens has built in South Bend. A group of Leonard Moore, Adon Shuler, Tae Johnson, Christian Gray, DJ McKinney, and Luke Talich is an embarrassment of riches.
Outside of his abilities as a coach and developer, Mickens also developed a great reputation as a recruiter over the years. In the 2027 recruiting class, Notre Dame currently holds commitments from cornerbacks Xavier Hasan, Ace Alston, and safety Khalil Terry. Anytime there is a coaching change, there is going to be some unrest about just how committed certain players are. Other teams also know that, and you can bet that they are going to be sniffing around all three.
Star 2027 Cincinnati (Ohio) Anderson cornerback Ace Alston has been a hot topic of conversation in recent weeks, and it is no secret that some other programs are pushing hard for him. Some teams that are currently pushing for the Ohio standout include Michigan, Tennessee, Miami, USC, and Missouri. Don’t be surprised if Ohio State also makes another shot at Alston, as well.
As of today, folks around the Irish program feel confident in their chances to keep Alston in the class. New secondary coach Aaron Henry will need to solidify that relationship as quickly as possible to maintain another elite defensive back class. Alston is scheduled to take his official visit to Notre Dame on June 18-21. If Alston does make that visit, that is when Notre Dame should be able to exhale and feel solid about the talented cover man remaining in the class.
Ace Alston’s recruiting profile
Alston is considered a four-star recruit and a top-150 overall player by each of the major recruiting platforms right now. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Alston is rated as the No. 117 overall player, the No. 11 cornerback, and the No. 2 player in the state of Ohio for the 2027 recruiting class.
While Alston has impressive recruiting rankings, his offer list is even better. Some of the top schools that have offered Alston up until this point include the Fighting Irish, Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, LSU, Tennessee, USC, Texas A&M, Auburn, Nebraska, Louisville, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Arkansas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Cincinnati, Duke, West Virginia, UCLA, Vanderbilt, and Purdue, among many others.
During the 2025 season, Alston put together yet another strong season for Anderson. The 5-11, 175-pound cover man recorded 46 total tackles, two interceptions, 16 pass breakups, and 3.5 tackles for loss. That’s coming off a sophomore year in 2024, where Anderson also managed to record 46 total tackles, two interceptions, 10 pass breakups, two tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. His impact could potentially come both on the outside and in the slot.
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