Notre Dame football misses out on five-star recruiting target who lands with a hated Fighting Irish rival
Notre Dame football was dealt some disappointing news over the weekend when elite 2027 San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic safety Honor Fa’alave-Johnson opted for the USC Trojans over the Fighting Irish, Oregon, LSU, Texas, and Miami. While it wasn’t unforeseen, losing out on this type of talent is never a great thing. This shouldn’t have […]
Notre Dame football was dealt some disappointing news over the weekend when elite 2027 San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic safety Honor Fa’alave-Johnson opted for the USC Trojans over the Fighting Irish, Oregon, LSU, Texas, and Miami. While it wasn’t unforeseen, losing out on this type of talent is never a great thing.
This shouldn’t have been much of a surprise for Notre Dame fans. The staff had done a good job with Fa’alave-Johnson, so they always remained in his top group. USC had been at the very top of this recruitment for some time, however, and they were able to get it done in the end.
For head coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, this is a tremendous job convincing Fa’alave-Johnson to stay in the state of California. It wasn’t too long ago that this type of player probably ends up going to Oregon or to the SEC, so closing on him is a big deal. They now get a dynamic defender with All-American potential.
When it comes to head coach Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame, it’s a blow but one that they can manage just fine. They already hold commitments from Ace Alston, Xavier Hasan, and Khalil Terry, which is a tremendous start to their secondary group. New secondary coach Aaron Henry has a chance to put an exclamation point on his first class over the next several months.
On to the next one for the Irish staff. There are plenty of talented players still on the board for Freeman and Co. to prioritize.
Fa’alave-Johnson’s recruiting background
Fa’alave-Johnson is one of the more diverse athletes in the 2027 recruiting class, with some viewing him as a safety and others preferring him on the offensive side of the football. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, the California native currently ranks as a five-star, the No. 16 overall player, the No. 1 safety, and the No. 1 player from the state of California from the 2027 class. He is considered a consensus top-50 recruit by each of the major recruiting platforms.
As you would expect based on his recruiting rankings, Fa’alave-Johnson has been courted by some of the top programs in all of college football. Some of his top offers currently include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, Oregon, Oklahoma, Michigan, LSU, Ole Miss, USC, Miami, Auburn, Florida State, Nebraska, Arizona State, Utah, Washington, BYU, SMU, Oregon State, Washington State, Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, UNC, Georgia Tech, UCF, UCLA, Cal, and Purdue, among several others.
The 6-1, 190-pound athlete was a dominant player for Cathedral Catholic as a junior in 2025. On the offensive side of the football, Fa’alave-Johnson managed to rush for 1,532 yards and 23 touchdowns on just 150 carries, an average of 11.9 yards per carry. The California native also hauled in 35 receptions for 564 yards and seven more scores, a reception average of 16.1 per catch. His offensive impact was a huge reason why Fa’alave-Johnson was able to be named the KUSIPPR Silver Pigskin Player of the Year this past season.
On the defensive side of the football, Fa’alave-Johnson was also a tremendous performer. He managed to collect 40 total tackles, three interceptions, and one forced fumble. His 10.48-second speed was on full display, which is a big reason why some teams have valued him on both sides of the football. This is a special overall athlete.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish News
Notre Dame could be on the outside looking in for an elite recruiting target with a decision date coming soon
Notre Dame football appears to be fading for one of the very best players in the 2027 recruiting class.
