Notre Dame Football Mailbag: Defensive line recruiting, Flip watch, 2027 quarterbacks, and Aneyas Williams
We are now officially in the summer portion of the calendar, which means the only thing to talk about really right now is recruiting. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame program are busy putting together a tremendous 2026 class. It has already been a busy couple of weeks. As things really start getting […]
We are now officially in the summer portion of the calendar, which means the only thing to talk about really right now is recruiting. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame program are busy putting together a tremendous 2026 class. It has already been a busy couple of weeks.
As things really start getting ramped up this offseason, I’m going to open up the conversation more to these mailbags. Some of the questions surrounding the 2026 defensive line class, 2027 quarterback recruiting, and Aneyas Williams among others. Here are the best questions from this week.
Finishing the 2026 defensive line class
As things currently stand, Notre Dame has a tremendous defensive end class with five-star Rodney Dunham and toolsy pass rusher Ebenezer Ewetade. The Fighting Irish also have a commitment from Texas run stopper Tiki Hola, which is a good start inside. Finishing the interior, however, is a top priority.
There’s no questioning who the top target on the board is at defensive tackle. At 6-3 and 270 pounds, Sarasota (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney standout Elijah Golden spends a lot of time on the edge in high school. His game does look best suited inside long term, projecting as a playmaking three technique. That is the missing element that this defensive line class doesn’t have right now.
Flip watch?
I’m not worried about flipping anyone right now, and neither is Notre Dame. Their goal is to focus on adding about nine more commits to the class. From there, we can see what the board looks like, and where the needs still are.
Linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. was really the only commit that there was some worry about with his obvious connection to the Georgia Bulldogs. As of right now, I’m not concerned about anyone else being a flip candidate.
2027 quarterback recruiting
I won’t lie, this 2027 quarterback recruiting situation is one of the odder strategies I’ve seen for Notre Dame over the years. There is no Power Four team that hasn’t offered at least one quarterback. Will this strategy work out? I honestly have no idea. I’m also not entirely sure why it’s even a strategy. I don’t think being secretive in the world of recruiting is that big of an advantage, especially when we know what signal callers they have been evaluating.
I would keep close eyes on Benton (La.) High School passer Malachi Zeigler and Arlington Heights (Ill.) Montini Catholic star Israel Abrams. Both are extremely talented players who bring good movement skills on top of impressive arm talent. The Fighting Irish have had close eyes on both.
Best Aneyas Williams strategy
I wouldn’t. It’s just the nature of the running back position in today’s world. It is just so easy to keep this pipeline rolling with how well Notre Dame is recruiting running backs. You have Kedren Young with four years of eligibility remaining after redshirting last season. You still have four years of eligibility with true freshman Nolan James Jr., and two tremendous players coming in 2026 with Javian Osborne and Jonaz Walton. Depth of that position won’t be a problem for a long time. Plus, I want to win a championship, and Williams playing will only help that in the short term.
