Notre Dame heads into a pivotal recruiting weekend for a top 2027 priority that is completely out of their control
Official visitor weekends are set to kick off. Notre Dame football will have a close eye on the Ohio State Buckeyes soon.
This upcoming weekend could prove to be massive for Notre Dame football. Some programs from all across college football are set to host top 2027 recruiting targets, but that group does not include head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish. Their official visitor weekends don’t kick off until July 12.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are one of the elite programs that kick off the action over the next couple of days. Of the talented group of players who are set to visit Columbus, there may not be a bigger target than elite 2027 Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou. Heading into the next several weeks, this recruitment is viewed as a Notre Dame-Ohio State battle for one of the top overall players in the 2027 class.
There are good vibes on both the Notre Dame and Ohio State sides for Fakatou, but many believe the Buckeyes hold a slight edge right now. As we have seen over the last couple of years, Freeman and Co. have an unbelievable rate as a closer during official visits. The hope is that Fakatou leaves things open when he makes his official visit to South Bend on June 15-17.
Notre Dame holds commitments from five-star defensive tackle David Folorunsho, top-100 defensive end Aidan O’Neil, and standout pass rusher Jackson Vaughn, which is a tremendous three-man class. Fakatou is among the remaining group that could buoy a great class to a historic one. Let’s see if the Irish could get the best of the Buckeyes.
Marcus Fakatou’s recruiting background
Fakatou is extremely well-liked by the major recruiting services so far. In the early 247 Sports ranking for the 2028 recruiting class, the California native was rated as the No. 3 overall player, No. 1 defensive lineman, and No. 1 player in the state of California. Even with Fakatou reclassifying to the 2027 class, he is still considered to be an elite-level prospect. On the Composite ranking, he is rated as a five-star recruit, the No. 33 overall player, the No. 2 defensive lineman, and the No. 3 player from the state of California.
Even though Fakatou made that reclassification jump, a long list of impressive programs has already been pursuing him. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, USC, Penn State, Miami, Auburn, Nebraska, SMU, BYU, Arizona State, Missouri, Utah, Washington, Colorado, Minnesota, Arizona, Syracuse, and Cal, among many others.
Even as a “freshman” in 2024, Fakatou made a lot of plays for a very talented Orange Lutheran squad. The 6-6, 275-pound athlete recorded 28 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks. He was even better in 2025, finishing the season with 69 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, seven sacks, 14 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, and eight blocked kicks. The inside-out versatility is tremendous.