Notre Dame football moves one step closer to landing an elite offensive tackle from a very unlikely recruiting area
Notre Dame is setting the pace for an elite recruit, taking another big step toward closing in the end.
Even with all the negative vibes surrounding Notre Dame football from the media perspective, the future for the Fighting Irish is still very high. Head coach Marcus Freeman and his Irish staff have built a tremendous roster in South Bend, and a big reason for that is the impact that the team has continued to have on the recruiting trail. This staff has continued to up their game in that regard, and the recruiting momentum isn’t stopping anytime soon.
One of the best 2027 recruiting targets to know is elite Middletown (Delaware) Appoquinimink offensive tackle Layton Von Brandt. Once a Penn State commit, Von Brandt decided to open his recruitment back up when the Nittany Lions fired head coach James Franklin. Since then, the Irish have ascended to be one of the top suitors for the talented offensive lineman. Notre Dame will have to continue to battle, but they are in a strong spot right now.
Coach Freeman and the Fighting Irish took a strong step toward eventually landing Von Brandt. They were included in his top eight schools list. Notre Dame was joined by Ohio State, Penn State, Florida, LSU, Tennessee, Auburn, and Virginia Tech.
As of today, I really like where Notre Dame sits with Von Brandt. Franklin and Virginia Tech being in the conversation does give some pause, considering he was committed to him, as does Florida with new offensive line coach Phil Trautwein. Joe Rudolph and the Irish, however, should have a very good chance to get this done.
Layton Von Brandt’s recruiting background
Von Brandt is considered to be a four-star player by each of the major recruiting platforms, and a near top-100 player on each as well. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Von Brandt currently ranks as a top-40 player, including sitting as the No. 38 overall player, the No. 5 offensive tackle, and the No. 1 player in the state of Delaware for the 2027 recruiting class. That is not a traditional state for Notre Dame to target, but Von Brandt is just that good, and currently bordering on being a five-star player in the class.
Even before Von Brandt committed to the Nittany Lions back in November of last year, a long list of impressive suitors had been pursuing the talented offensive lineman. The 6-6, 275-pound offensive tackle has an extremely impressive offer list. Some of the top schools that have offered him include the Fighting Irish, Penn State, Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State, Missouri, Auburn, Indiana, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Boston College, Virginia, UNC, Stanford, Syracuse, and Rutgers, among several others.
Things are certainly happening quickly, but Notre Dame has put itself in a great position so far. With spring visits on the horizon, the Irish will have the chance to potentially close this one out. Von Brandt will be a tremendous grab for offensive line coach Joe Rudolph if he can finish this one out.
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