Notre Dame football is on the cusp of solidifying an elite 2027 offensive line class. Head coach Marcus Freeman and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph have done a tremendous job, already holding commitments from Oluwasemilore Olubobola, James Halter, Richie Flanigan, and Jackson Hill. All eyes now move to elite Lake Charles (La.) Sam Houston offensive line target Albert Simien.

The Fighting Irish have been in good standing with Simien, who is considered a five-star recruit for the 2027 class. As you would expect, some elite programs have been pushing hard for him. That includes head coach Mike Elko and the Texas A&M Aggies, who hosted Simien for an official visit this past weekend. Considered to be one of the front-runners for Simien, this was a huge opportunity for the Aggies to gain a substantial lead.

Over the last day or so, I have had conversations with folks on every side to understand where things stand with Simien, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, and other contenders. Here is the latest.

Notre Dame’s push for Albert Simien

Heading into the official visit season, I have reported that I do believe this is a Notre Dame-Texas A&M battle. LSU is also in the running for Simien, but they are not the front-runner like some believe. Simien does not come from an LSU household, and he didn’t grow up as a fan of the team, despite being from Louisiana.

That has allowed the Fighting Irish and Aggies to get into the fight and to even lead it. Following the trip to College Station, I continue to believe that Texas A&M is the slight leader for Simien. He is a player that Elko and Co. want at a high level. They will exhaust every avenue to get this recruitment done.

I do, however, remain optimistic for Notre Dame’s chances. The Irish staff has the last official visit for Simien scheduled for June 19-21, and barring a change in plans, I do expect the talented offensive lineman to take all of his official visits. Notre Dame has an absurd closing rate this time of the year, so getting Simien back to South Bend is paramount.

The Aggies will also have a strong chance in the end, so I do consider this almost a 50/50 recruitment right now. I will still pick Notre Dame to win out, for now.

Albert Simien’s recruiting background

Simien is considered at least a four-star and a top-50 overall player by each of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Simien currently ranks as a five-star, the No. 13 overall player, the No. 2 interior offensive lineman, and the No. 2 player from the state of Louisiana for the 2027 recruiting class. This is an elite talent.

Just like his recruiting rankings, Simien’s offer list is elite. Some of the top programs that have offered him include the Fighting Irish, Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Florida, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Auburn, Florida State, Nebraska, TCU, West Virginia, Arkansas, UNC, Baylor, SMU, and Houston, among others.