After a great visit to LSU a couple of weekends ago, elite 2027 Exton (Pa.) Downingtown East EDGE Abraham Sesay is set to return to South Bend this weekend for an official visit. That comes after canceling his trip with the Duke Blue Devils this past weekend, and now head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish have a chance to make a recruiting statement. It is closing time.

Heading into this return to South Bend, Sesay’s recruitment has shifted a bit, especially as things begin to wind down. Let’s take a look at what this upcoming weekend can mean for the folks on the Fighting Irish staff. There is a lot on the line, but I am still not sure I would want to be anyone other than Notre Dame, especially with the timing of this trip.

Here is the latest on Sesay and Notre Dame’s push.

Where things stand with Sesay and Notre Dame

It feels like, for the longest time, Notre Dame has been viewed as the firm team to beat for the Pennsylvania defensive end. As I previously reported, I felt like both Penn State and Duke were a couple of the biggest competitors for the Fighting Irish. Clearly, the Blue Devils are now out of that race, and there doesn’t appear to be much conversation about the Nittany Lions over the last few days.

While I still think LSU’s push has been a bit overstated, it does appear like they have made a strong push after he visited Baton Rouge two weekends ago. Even if they have, I still love where Notre Dame is, based on everything I have heard and been told. Sesay has a great relationship with the Irish staff, and their presence in his recruitment should matter in the end.

With Notre Dame having the second-to-last official visit with Sesay, the timing of the trip could be important. Florida State is scheduled to host him the weekend after, but I don’t think that trip will end up mattering that much. The LSU vibes should wear off this weekend when Sesay is back in South Bend. The timing of these visits matters a lot.

From the very beginning, Notre Dame has been a top school to know for the talented pass rusher. Even before the Irish staff held commitments from defensive ends Aidan O’Neil and Jackson Vaughn, Sesay was a player that they were extremely high on. That opinion hasn’t changed heading into this weekend.

Abraham Sesay’s recruiting background

Sesay is a four-star player and near-consensus top-100 recruit on each of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Sesay currently sits as the No. 50 overall player, the No. 8 EDGE, and the No. 3 player from the state of Pennsylvania for the 2027 recruiting class. 247 Sports is the highest on the Pennsylvania native right now, pegging him as the No. 27 overall player and No. 6 EDGE in the class, while Rivals isn’t far behind.

The 6-5, 225-pound pass rusher has demanded the attention of some of the top programs in all of college football. Some of Sesay’s top offers include the Fighting Irish, Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama, LSU, Florida, Penn State, Ole Miss, Auburn, USC, Nebraska, Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Maryland, NC State, UNC, Boston College, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Duke, and Northwestern, among several others.

As a junior, Sesay put together a tremendous season for Downingtown East. The talented pass rusher recorded around 80 total tackles and 13 sacks. With long limbs and explosiveness, Sesay has the talent to develop into a big-time defensive end on the college level. As he continues to grow into his frame, there is no reason why he can’t become a stellar three-down player.