The Notre Dame football 2027 recruiting class is nearing its conclusion, with head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish still waiting on a decision from top-150 Chicagoland defensive tackle Brayden Parks, who is choosing between Notre Dame and Oregon.

Beyond Parks, the expectation is that the staff will continue to eye a second linebacker and potentially a second tight end if the right player emerges. The focus, however, is about to shift dramatically toward 2028 recruiting, and several names on the defensive side of the ball are already generating significant intrigue on the Notre Dame board.

After dropping the offensive edition of early 2028 favorites, here is a look at the defensive prospects who stand out from early film evaluation. These are not necessarily the players Notre Dame is highest on internally, but the ones who pop on tape and have real connections to the Fighting Irish program.

EDGE Darieon Prescott – Bolingbrook (Ill.) High School

Bolingbrook (Ill.) High School EDGE Darieon Prescott is considered one of the elite overall defenders in the 2028 class. At 6-6 and 220 pounds, Prescott has the frame to eventually grow into a 260-plus-pound pass rusher. His combination of explosiveness and length is the reason he’s considered a potential five-star player. Notre Dame is in a great spot early with Prescott, though elite suitors will continue to push hard. The Fighting Irish have put themselves in the lead to begin this process, but they will need to continue making him feel at home to close the deal.

EDGE Kameron McGee – Oak Lawn (Ill.) Brother Rice

Oak Lawn (Ill.) Brother Rice EDGE Kameron McGee is the highest-rated edge rusher from Illinois right now, narrowly edging out Prescott. McGee is a much different body type at 6-3 and 245 pounds. His play style is reminiscent of Colin Simmons, the star pass rusher at Texas. Despite playing in a more compact frame, McGee has good length, good bend, and a first step that puts offensive tackles in crisis. When a tackle is forced to overset because of his speed, McGee routinely wins cross-face to take the inside track. That two-way go gives him optimal upside as an elite pass rusher at the next level.

Notre Dame is in on McGee for the long haul, but this is not going to be a short-term win simply because he plays his football 90 minutes away. The Fighting Irish are going to have to beat out an elite offer list. I think they can, but there is a lot of work that needs to be done.

LB Tahj Gray – Montvale (NJ) St. Joseph Regional

St. Joseph’s Regional (Montvale, N.J.) linebacker Tahj Gray is an incredibly intriguing football player who has a close relationship with 2027 Notre Dame defensive end commit Jackson Vaughn. At 6-3 and 232 pounds, Gray does a little bit of everything. He plays stacked linebacker, rushes off the edge, and lines up as an outside linebacker in 3-4 alignments. The downhill explosiveness and power he brings to the table are evident on film. There is an argument that defensive end might be his best long-term spot, but as an inside linebacker in the mold of Kyngstonn Vilamu-Asa for Notre Dame, where the staff asks him to play stack but then play on-ball when they need to upgrade the pass rush, Gray brings tremendous value. Notre Dame is in a good spot with him right now.

CB Keaton Fields – Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton

Keaton Fields might be my favorite defensive player on the Notre Dame board for this class. The Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton product is listed as an athlete by some platforms, with schools split on whether he projects as a safety or a cornerback. Notre Dame, I believe, sees a lot of Leonard Moore in Fields. At 6-3 with long arms and elite size, what separates Fields from other bigger corners is his change of direction. Despite being a bit high-cut, his ability to click and close is fantastic, giving him upside to play both press man and off-man coverage. He is ranked inside the top 25 on the 247Sports Composite ranking for a reason. Notre Dame is in a pretty good spot early, and I think the sell of Moore’s development could tip this one in the Fighting Irish’s favor.

S James Foster III – Lancaster (Texas) High School

Lancaster (Texas) High School safety James Foster III is a straightforward evaluation. At 6-2 and about 195 pounds, he is explosive, long, downhill, and possesses good range and instincts on the back end. There is no real hole in his game. Notre Dame has done a good job early, though an elite group of suitors will continue to push for him. The Fighting Irish have recruited the secondary at an extremely high level over the last few years, and Foster might be the top overall safety on the board. Getting him out of the state of Texas will be difficult, but Notre Dame could get this one done depending on how things shape up.