Notre Dame football moves one step closer to luring a dominant defender out of SEC country who every top CFB program wants
Notre Dame attempting to lure dominant defender out of the SEC’s backyard.
Under head coach Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame has been recruiting on a level that we haven’t seen in a very long time. One area that the Fighting Irish still need to get better at on the defensive side of the football is at defensive tackle. They have good players on the interior, but there isn’t a potential difference maker. That is the next step for this team.
In the 2027 recruiting class, the Irish staff is in strong pursuit of several talented defensive tackles. That includes Birmingham (Ala.) Ramsay star Karlos May, who visited South Bend for the first time several weeks ago. Notre Dame has made a strong early impression on May, and they have a much stronger chance than many believe.
The Irish took a strong step toward potentially stealing May out of SEC country when he is set to make his decision. Notre Dame was included in his recently released top 12 schools list. They were joined by Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Oregon, Oklahoma, Florida State, Auburn, Missouri, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt.
If May did end up committing to Notre Dame, it would be viewed as a bit of an upset. In reality, the Irish are a much bigger player than many will give them credit for. Getting May back to campus will be huge, but they already stand a fair chance at closing on him in the end.
Karlos May’s recruiting background
Despite missing his sophomore season due to injury, May is highly thought of from a recruiting rankings perspective. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, he is currently pegged as the No. 200 overall player, the No. 24 defensive lineman, and the No. 6 player from the state of Alabama for the 2027 recruiting class. Those rankings should only continue to go up for May based on his junior season performance.
A long list of prominent programs continues to pursue May in a big way. Some of the top teams that have offered the Alabama native include the Fighting Irish, Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Oregon, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Auburn, Florida State, Missouri, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia, among many others.
At 6-3 and 305 pounds, May is a big and explosive interior presence who can command a lot of attention. In the Notre Dame defense, May could potentially play either three technique or nose tackle. His versatility and playmaking upside provides him with a lot of upside. He would be a great addition to the 2027 group of Notre Dame were able to close.
