Alabama football trending quickly with long time Notre Dame priority target that they have seemingly been the leader for
It has felt like Notre Dame football has been in a tremendous spot with 2026 Sarasota (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney defensive lineman Elijah Golden. While Al Washington and the Fighting Irish staff have continued to push hard for Golden, other prominent programs have gotten involved as well. Schools like Alabama, Michigan, and Florida are a couple […]
It has felt like Notre Dame football has been in a tremendous spot with 2026 Sarasota (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney defensive lineman Elijah Golden. While Al Washington and the Fighting Irish staff have continued to push hard for Golden, other prominent programs have gotten involved as well. Schools like Alabama, Michigan, and Florida are a couple of programs that have begun to rise up the list.
Golden is fresh off of a visit to Alabama recently, and there are many who believe the Crimson Tide made a massive move. That doesn’t mean that Notre Dame is out of the hunt for Golden, but it does appear things might be shifting. As more and more schools have begun pushing for the Florida star, the Irish have stagnated a bit.
Notre Dame will need to respond, and quickly. Golden is a player that the program loves, and need to figure out their next step.
At around 6-4 and 260 pounds, Golden has the ability to play on the edge or eventually move inside on the next level. Outside of the aforementioned programs that are near the top of the board, Golden has a long list of impressive suitors. Some of those offers include Georgia, Ohio State, Texas, Oregon, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Texas A&M, Florida State, and Auburn among many others.
Golden is rated as the No. 107 overall player and No. 14 defensive lineman in the 2026 recruiting class according to 247Sports. That ranking also has Golden rated as the No. 13 player in the state of Florida, a hotbed for talent every year. The 247Sports Composite ranking has him pegged as the No. 191 overall player in the class.
After playing high school football for IMG Academy in 2023, Golden played at Cardinal Mooney as a junior. In 11 games, Golden collected 61 total tackles, 29 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. Golden also had eight more quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.
Notre Dame football set to host top-100 2027 recruit for a multi-day visit, and don’t be surprised if an offer is extended
Notre Dame hosting a massive recruiting target, literally.
