Notre Dame football’s 2027 recruiting class is nearing the finish line, and the Fighting Irish hold 21 commitments that position them as a consensus top-3 class nationally. Head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff still have a couple key targets remaining on the board, including Chicagoland defensive tackle Brayden Parks and top-150 linebacker Roman Igwebuike, but the bulk of this class is set.

What could push this group from great to historically elite is something that has nothing to do with new additions. Several current Notre Dame commits are ranked far too low compared to the talent they possess, and recruiting ranking bumps for those players could reshape the perception of this class entirely.

One thing is very clear: this should already be considered an elite class by everyone. The continued attention for several underrated talents could unlock the expectation that this is potentially the best Notre Dame recruiting class in the past 30 years.

QB Champ Monds – Vero Beach (Fla.) High School

The most underrated player in the 2027 Notre Dame recruiting class right now is four-star quarterback Champ Monds out of Vero Beach, Florida. At 6-2 and 224 pounds, Monds possesses a strong right arm and supreme athleticism. He is a talented dual-threat quarterback who loves to win from the pocket.

Monds is currently ranked as the No. 260 overall player on the 247 Sports Composite ranking, holding a four-star grade. There is an imbalance across the major platforms, though, with some evaluators still viewing him as a three-star player. It’s understandable to a degree why Monds would be somewhat underrated considering he was hurt for the majority of his sophomore season in 2025 and just reclassified to the 2027 class. There is a nuance to evaluating a player like Monds because of that timeline.

Regardless, the talent is too high for him to be ranked near the 300 mark in any ranking. This is a player who should be widely considered a top-100 quarterback, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he ends up being a top-50 player nationally following a massive final season for Vero Beach.

DT Segun Alexander – Rabun Gap (Ga.) Nacoochee

Speaking of reclassifications, Segun Alexander is one of the newest commitments to Notre Dame. The 6-2, 295-pound defensive tackle out of Rabun Gap-Nacoochee in Georgia actually plays defensive end in high school. Originally from the 2028 recruiting class, Alexander was a player that Notre Dame wanted in a big way, possessing rare athleticism and explosiveness for a player his size.

He is simply not the No. 401 overall player in the class according to the 247 Sports Composite ranking. Alexander was widely considered to be a top-200 player in the 2028 class before reclassifying, and that is where he should end up being ranked when the evaluations catch up. His combination of explosiveness and athleticism brings tremendous upside to play either 3-technique or potentially as a playmaking nose tackle on the next level.

S John Gay III – Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna

Another underrated player in this class is defensive back John Gay III out of Chaminade-Madonna in Hollywood, Florida. At 6-1 and 185 pounds, Gay has also played nickel for his high school team, bringing a ton of versatility that the Fighting Irish staff has loved. As soon as Shaun Shivers got an assistant coaching job at Notre Dame this offseason, Gay quickly became a priority target.

Gay is currently ranked as a three-star player and the No. 768 overall prospect on the 247 Sports Composite ranking. That should rise following what could be a massive senior season this fall.

RB Isaiah Rogers – Springfield (Mass.) Central

The last player who should be ranked much higher is running back Isaiah Rogers out of Springfield Central in Massachusetts. Rogers is ranked as the No. 197 overall player and a four-star prospect on the 247 Sports Composite ranking, but quite simply, he is better than the nearly 200th-best player in the 2027 class.

This is a top-100 running back who possesses tremendous size, explosiveness, and the ability to create big plays while also churning out short yardage. Rogers is one of the best overall running backs in the 2027 class, and it shouldn’t be long before the rankings reflect that.

If these four players receive the bumps they deserve, this Notre Dame class won’t just be considered top three nationally. It will be in the conversation as the best Fighting Irish recruiting haul in three decades.