Notre Dame football just hosted 18 extremely talented players for official visits this past weekend, and that included three key remaining targets for the 2027 recruiting class. 

Head coach Marcus Freeman is in the process of putting together an elite overall group. That momentum continued over the last couple of days. 

After speaking to folks on Notre Dame’s side, as well as those in the know for the three remaining uncommitted targets, here are the vibes coming out of the weekend. 

It should be no surprise for those who follow recruiting closely, but Freeman and Co. once again outdid themselves. The Irish have put themselves in a position to close on all three of those remaining targets that were in South Bend. Here is the latest on each of them. 

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

Jones is set to commit today at 12:30 PM Eastern time on the Pat McAfee Show, where he will pick between Notre Dame, Miami, and Oregon. At this point, it would be a massive upset if Jones landed with anyone other than the Fighting Irish, and it has been that way for several months. This past weekend was about solidifying his impending decision and making Jones feel at home, once again. 

The top-100 pass catcher had the chance to spend the weekend with his father (what a Father’s Day moment!), who played running back for Notre Dame in the early 2000s. Jones also got to spend time with his St. Thomas Aquinas and potential future Irish teammate Zayden Gamble, as well as his brother, Andre Jones, who is a 2028 safety target for the Irish staff. Monday should be a great day for everyone involved. 

OL Albert Simien – Lake Charles (La.) Sam Houston

As I’ve reported for a couple of months, Notre Dame is in a heated battle with Texas A&M for the 5-star offensive lineman. While some continue to push LSU, I just don’t see him landing with the Tigers. Simien comes from a family that didn’t grow up with an LSU allegiance, despite being from Louisiana. That has allowed the Irish and Aggies to make their moves. 

Notre Dame isn’t quite out of the woods just yet, but I love where they are with Simien after this weekend. At every step throughout the process, Simien has remained a massive priority for the Irish staff. That fact may have even hurt the program with a couple of other offensive line targets that were on the board, but they like Simien that much. As things currently stand, I like Notre Dame to get this one done, but they need to close strong. 

The Irish have a lot of momentum on their side, including some pro-Notre Dame family members.  

DL Segun Alexander – Rabun Gap (Ga.) Nacoochee

Heading into this official visit, Texas A&M felt like the clear team to beat for Alexander. That has completely changed after he left South Bend. Notre Dame was a clear team of interest for Alexander, but now they are the clear frontrunner. Things have been moving fast for the Georgia native, who reclassified from the 2028 class this offseason. Charlie Partridge has done an incredible job selling the fit to him as a versatile defensive lineman who can move all over the field. 

With the Irish already holding commitments from 5-star EDGE Abraham Sesay, top-100 defensive end Aidan O’Neil, elite defensive tackle David Folorunsho, and toolsy pass rusher Jackson Vaughn, Alexander would be an intriguing addition with tons of upside, despite his bizarre recruiting rankings. Notre Dame is also still recruiting defensive tackles Brayden Parks and Tyler Alexander, so the finish for this elite defensive line group will be interesting.