Notre Dame football landed a massive commitment on Friday from 2027 Vero Beach (Fla.) High School four-star quarterback Wonderful “Champ” Monds IV over finalists Ohio State and Florida State. That capped off a very eventful day, also landing 2027 Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep EDGE Aidan O’Neil over a long list of impressive offers. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish staff are putting in a lot of work in the 2027 recruiting class right now.

With Monds, your quarterback now in the class, things aren’t going to slow down anytime soon. To have a little bit of fun, here are my predictions for the next five 2027 targets who could eventually land in the class. While this is not necessarily in order, I did my best to base it on a timeline of decisions. This would be an impressive group if the Irish staff can hit the inside straight.

Here are some key 2027 recruiting targets to know for Notre Dame.

Predicting next Notre Dame commitments 

WR Julius Jones Jr. – Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas 

With Jones being a legacy recruit for Notre Dame, he is a very important 2027 target. Outside of his familiar name, Jones also possesses some tremendous upside as a wide receiver, including home run speed and the ability to make big plays after the catch. Notre Dame continues to battle Oregon for the talented pass catcher, but they are very much the leader right now. 

OT Cameron Wagner – St. Joseph (Ill.) Ogden 

At this point in Wagner’s recruitment, I’m not sure who the main competitor is, even against Notre Dame. The 6-6, 300-pound offensive tackle is someone that offensive line coach Joe Rudolph has prioritized for a long time. As long as this recruitment ends somewhat in the near future, it’ll be Freeman and Co.’s battle to lose. 

DT Brayden Parks – Oak Lawn (Ill.) Brother Rice 

Notre Dame was the early leader for Parks, but Oregon has certainly given them a run for their money. The Irish staff have recovered and are still the assumed leader for the 6-3, 305-pound defensive tackle. Paris has been a priority for a very long time, and this program desperately wants to keep the Chicagoland standout near home. 

OT Layton von Brandt – Middletown (Del.) Appoquinimink 

I’ve repeated this comparison before, but von Brandt gives me the same feeling that Owen Strebig did in the 2025 recruiting class. While some other elite programs are pursuing von Brandt heavily, like Strebig, I would be extremely surprised if the pick wasn’t Notre Dame in the end. This very much feels like when, not if, the Delaware native opts for the Irish. 

EDGE Jackson Vaughn – Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic 

Vaughn opted to reclassify to the 2027 class from 2028 recently, giving Notre Dame another opportunity to bring in another potentially elite pass rusher. The 6-4, 225-pound pass rusher has been a dominant force against some of the best competition in high school football. The Irish lead for one of the higher upside defensive ends in the 2026 class.