The latest recruiting buzz shows exactly where Notre Dame now stands with a recent Big Ten decommitment
Notre Dame football was interested in pushing for another cornerback in the 2027 recruiting class. It appears that the dream might be over.
When 2027 Cincinnati (Ohio) Princeton cornerback Monsanna Torbert Jr. decommitted from the Indiana Hoosiers a few weeks ago, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Michigan quickly became the teams to know. While head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish weren’t viewed as the front-runner of that group, there was hope that things could change after setting up an official visit on June 19-21. We all know how well Freeman and Co. have done closing during the official visit season.
It appears that Freeman, secondary coach Aaron Henry, and the Irish staff won’t get the chance to make a push for Torbert. The talented cover man has opted to cancel his official visit to Notre Dame. The Buckeyes and Wolverines now become the two teams to watch moving forward.
As I reported, once the decommitment happened, Ohio State immediately became the team to beat for Torbert. That has not changed. In fact, I would be a little surprised if he doesn’t end up with the Buckeyes in the end.
Notre Dame already holds commitments from cornerbacks Xavier Hasan and Ace Alston in the 2027 recruiting class, which is a tremendous duo. Torbert was initially wanted by the Irish staff to come and play nickel on the next level, potentially. The team is still pushing for Karnell “Greedy” James, who also has some nickel flexibility down the road. Missing out on Torbert is a slight bummer, but far from the end of the world.
Monsanna Torbert Jr.’s recruiting background
Torbert is considered to be a four-star player by each of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Torbert sits as the No. 139 overall player, the No. 16 cornerback, and the No. 6 player from the state of Ohio for the 2027 recruiting class right now.
There have been some impressive programs that have continued to push for Torbert, even after he committed to Indiana this past January. Some of the teams that have offered the Ohio native include the Fighting Irish, the Hoosiers, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Florida State, Missouri, Auburn, Iowa, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Pitt, Maryland, Louisville, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, and Purdue, among several others.
As a junior in 2025, Torbert put together a tremendous season for Princeton. In ten games, the 5-10, 158-pound cover man managed to record 40 total tackles, three interceptions, and three more pass breakups. He is also a dual-threat quarterback who threw for 1,791 yards and 26 touchdowns, while also rushing for 450 yards and four more scores. Although he is small, Torbert is a tremendous overall athlete who can do a lot of things for a team.