Notre Dame football continued its strong recruiting momentum in the 2027 class on Friday, securing a commitment from Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep defensive end Aidan O’Neil. Considered a top-100-caliber recruit by multiple platforms, the talented defender was secured by head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish, beating out Penn State and Kentucky. 

This was some big news for defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, who was waiting to secure his first commitment since arriving in South Bend earlier this offseason. O’Neil is a tremendous early addition, and it should improve their chances of signing an elite 2027 defensive line class. This is just the beginning of the type of recruiting impact that Partridge can have. 

It didn’t take long for Partridge to prioritize O’Neil after he got the job. He has some outstanding talent to work with, and developing under someone with Partridge’s resume is a tantalizing proposition. 

Aidan O’Neil’s recruiting background

After beginning the process as an underrated recruit, O’Neil has now seen his rankings continue to trend upward, now considered to be a four-star player by each of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, the New Jersey native rates as a four-star, the No. 140 overall player, the No. 15 EDGE, and the No. 3 player from the state of New Jersey for the 2027 recruiting class. 247 Sports is the highest on O’Neil right now, pegged as the No. 73 overall player and the No. 9 EDGE in the country.

The 6-5, 240-pound pass rusher has a long and impressive offer list currently. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Nebraska, Florida State, Indiana, South Carolina, Kentucky, Illinois, NC State, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Washington, Pitt, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Minnesota, Syracuse, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Rutgers, Duke, and Northwestern, among several others.

As a junior in 2025, O’Neil put together a tremendous season for Don Bosco. In 12 games played, O’Neil managed to collect 54 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. The talented defender also forced two fumbles for one of the best programs in high school football.

What’s next for Notre Dame? 

Now that O’Neil is on the board, the attention turns to two other talented targets: Fellow Pennsylvania standout Abraham Sesay and New Jersey native Jackson Vaughn. Notre Dame is in a great spot with both players right now, and they are largely considered to be the team to beat. It’s all about closing now. 

Sesay has not yet set a commitment date, but the Irish are leading right now. Vaughn is the same, just recently reclassifying from the 2028 to the 2027 recruiting class. If Notre Dame is able to land those three, it would be the best defensive end trio they have signed in a very long time. 

The Irish staff is also continuing to recruit other talented defensive ends, such as Fort Wayne (Ind.) Northrop star Ifeanyi Emedobi, but he feels like a bit of a contingency plan right now. There’s no question who Notre Dame wants most in this 2027 class.