Notre Dame football in a very familiar blue blood recruiting battle for an elite player after the most recent update
There is another Notre Dame versus Ohio State recruiting battle on the horizon.
Once upon a time, Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou was the first player that Notre Dame offered in the 2028 recruiting class. Fakatou, who originally played for Orange Lutheran, eventually decided to reclassify to the 2027 group. Even after making that decision, head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish continued their strong push.
Considered to be the leader to land the California native for some time, some other elite programs have entered the chat and made their own pushes for Fakatou. That includes Ohio State, a program that the elite defender visited recently. In an interview with Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney, Fakatou gave an update on his recruitment, including where the Buckeyes stand.
“This was my first visit for this whole year in general,” Fakatou told Gorney. “Me and my parents were just talking and they set the bar so high that we all came to like a circle and said committing (Wednesday) would be something to think about. That’s how high they set the bar and I feel like Ohio State is right there with Notre Dame on my list.”
The Notre Dame versus Ohio State battles are becoming more and more consistent over the last several recruiting cycles. Both sides have come out on the winning end, including the Fighting Irish winning out for elite linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa back in the 2024 class. The Irish staff is hoping to add Fakatou to those successful wins in the future. It would be a tremendous victory if Freeman and Co. are somehow able to get this one done.
Marcus Fakatou’s recruiting background
Fakatou is extremely well-liked by the major recruiting services so far. In the early 247 Sports ranking for the 2028 recruiting class, the California native was rated as the No. 3 overall player, No. 1 defensive lineman, and No. 1 player in the state of California. Even with Fakatou reclassifying to the 2027 class, he is still considered to be an elite-level prospect. On the Composite ranking, he is rated as a five-star recruit, the No. 35 overall player, the No. 2 defensive lineman, and the No. 3 player from the state of California.
Even though Fakatou made that reclassification jump, a long list of impressive programs has already been pursuing him. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, USC, Penn State, Miami, Auburn, Nebraska, SMU, BYU, Arizona State, Missouri, Utah, Washington, Colorado, Minnesota, Arizona, Syracuse, and Cal, among many others.
Even as a “freshman” in 2024, Fakatou made a lot of plays for a very talented Orange Lutheran squad. The 6-6, 275-pound athlete managed to record 28 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and five sacks. He was even better in 2025, finishing the season with 69 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, seven sacks, 14 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, and eight blocked kicks. The inside-out versatility is tremendous.
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