Notre Dame football was the assumed leader for 2027 Chicago (Ill.) St. Patrick defensive tackle David Folorunsho for some time. With Folorunsho being coached by former Fighting Irish safety Tom Zbikowski and trained by Kerry Neal, head coach Marcus Freeman had a strong early advantage. 

While Freeman, Charlie Partridge, and Co. are still very much in the running for the talented defender, other elite programs have been pursuing him heavily. It appears that Texas Tech has also become a major threat, having hosted Folorunsho for a visit this past weekend. The Red Raiders managed to make a statement during that trip. 

In an interview that Folorunsho did with Steve Wiltfong from On3/Rivals, he said a lot of great things about Texas Tech and his experience in Lubbock. Coming out of the trip, some even believe they are the leader for him. Outside of Folorunsho’s rave review, a source was very adamant about their standing with Wiltfong. 

“They’re going to be tough to beat,” a source told Wiltfong.

That seems to be pretty consistent feedback right now from folks that I have spoken with. Notre Dame is set to host Folorunsho for the Blue-Gold Game, so they have a chance to gain some momentum back, but the recent push from Texas Tech could give some insight into what Folorunsho is looking for most in his recruitment. It’ll be interesting to see where things go from here. 

David Folorunsho’s recruiting background 

When Notre Dame first offered Folorunsho, he was considered to be a three-star by both Rivals and 247Sports. He is now considered to be a top-100 overall player by both. On Rivals’ rankings, Folorunsho is currently rated a four-star, the No. 13 overall player, No. 2 defensive lineman, and No. 1 player from the state of Illinois. 

ESPN is the only remaining outlier on Folorunsho, having not even rated him yet. 

As those rankings rise, so has the offer list for the Chicago native. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, Oregon, Michigan, LSU, Florida, Penn State, Tennessee, Miami, Auburn, Indiana, Nebraska, Missouri, Texas Tech, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Washington, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas State, Iowa, UNC, Kentucky, Virginia, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Cal, and Purdue, among others. 

At 6-4 and 285 pounds, Folorunsho is an impressive athlete who has been used up and down the line of scrimmage from various alignments for St. Patrick. As a junior, the talented defender recorded 55 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and five sacks. As Folorunsho continues to fill out his frame and develop, he has the potential to become an even more dominant football player and a continued riser in the 2027 recruiting class across all platforms.