Fast-rising defender is now firmly on the Notre Dame football radar – Could go from sleeper to priority in a hurry
There is a very intriguing 2027 defensive line recruiting target to know for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Since Charlie Partridge took over as the new Notre Dame defensive line coach this offseason, we have already seen his imprint on the high school recruiting side. As the defensive line board begins to form, reform, and evolve, the priorities in the 2027 recruiting class will begin to become clearer. We know that players like Brayden Parks and Karlos May are high on the list for head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish staff, but a lot can change over the next few months.
Notre Dame extended an interesting offer this week to 2027 Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep defensive end Aidan O’Neil, one of the fastest risers in the class overall. Throughout the offseason so far, O’Neil’s recruiting rankings and his offer list have increased exponentially. It doesn’t appear that it is going to slow down anytime soon, especially with the Fighting Irish now in on him.
Things are in the infancy stage between O’Neil and Notre Dame, but there does appear to be some interest from both sides. Getting the New Jersey native on a visit to South Bend will be the next step to fully gauge the interest. From there, we will all have a much better sense for just how solid a fit it could be between O’Neil and the Notre Dame program in the 2027 class.
Aidan O’Neil’s recruiting background
O’Neil is considered to be a three-star player by some and a four-star by others, depending on which of the major recruiting platforms you look at. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, the New Jersey native rates as a four-star, the No. 202 overall player, the No. 21 EDGE, and the No. 5 player from the state of New Jersey for the 2027 recruiting class. Rivals is the highest on O’Neil right now, pegged as the No. 141 overall player and the No. 16 defensive lineman in the country.
The 6-5, 240-pound pass rusher has a long and impressive offer list currently. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Nebraska, Florida State, Indiana, South Carolina, Kentucky, Illinois, NC State, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Washington, Pitt, Boston College, Minnesota, Syracuse, West Virginia, Wisonsin, Rutgers, Duke, and Northwestern, among others.
As a junior in 2025, O’Neil put together a tremendous season for Don Bosco. In 12 games played, O’Neil managed to collect 54 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. The talented defender also forced two fumbles for one of the best programs in college football.
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