Notre Dame football is fading quickly with a long-time Irish recruiting lean in favor of a surging Big Ten program

Notre Dame is fading quickly for a recruit it has been in a good spot with for a long time.

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman looks on during the first half of a NCAA football game against Navy at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in South Bend.

It feels like for several months, Notre Dame football has been the assumed leader for 2027 Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco cornerback Jailen Hill, who is one of the more talented cover men in the 2027 recruiting class. Head coach Marcus Freeman has made an impact recently at St. John Bosco with linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, and they were hoping to continue doing so with Hill.

Unfortunately for the Fighting Irish, it appears they have begun to fade with the California native.

Indiana emerges as favorite for Jailen Hill

Per Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney, the Indiana Hoosiers and head coach Curt Cignetti have vaulted to the top of Hill’s list. The Irish were considered the favorite for a while, with Texas A&M also being in that top group. Indiana appears to be the new team to beat.

“Indiana has made its move to the top for the Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco standout, and there is enough confidence now in the Hoosiers to make a prediction that Hill will commit there when he’s ready to decide.” — Rivals’ Adam Gorney

With Ace Alston and Xavier Hasan already committed to Notre Dame in the 2027 class, this would be far from the end of the world, but there is no question that Hill is a player that the Irish like. There are still several talented defensive backs on the board, and you can bet that Mike Mickens will close on some good ones. It is, however, annoying to see Indiana make some moves on the recruiting trail.

Jailen Hill’s recruiting background

Hill is considered a consensus four-star player by all major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Hill sits as the No. 150 overall player, the No. 15 cornerback, and the No. 15 player from the state of California in the 2027 recruiting class. Notre Dame wants to continue tapping into the talent coming out of the Trinity League, and Hill is one they hoped would be part of that quest.

On top of his impressive recruiting rankings, the California native also boasts an outstanding offer list. Some of Hill’s top offers include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, Texas, Oregon, Florida, Texas A&M, USC, Miami, Indiana, Florida State, Nebraska, Auburn, Arizona State, Washington, Michigan State, Arizona, Maryland, Purdue, and UCLA, among others.

The 6-2, 175-pound cover cornerback was tremendous for St. John Bosco as a junior. In 10 games, Hill recorded 11 total tackles, six interceptions, and three pass breakups. Hill played previously for Inglewood High School but made a seamless transition at one of the best high school programs in the country this season.

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