Notre Dame football is predicted to land an elite top-10 recruit following a massive visitor weekend against the Miami Hurricanes
Notre Dame is riding a ton of recruiting momentum following their win over Miami. That includes a massive target, quite literally.
Notre Dame’s massive victory over Miami may have made an impression on more than just the college football world. The Fighting Irish also appear to have made a significant move with one of their top offensive line recruiting targets in the 2028 class.
Four-star offensive tackle Lincoln Fa’alafi, a standout at JSerra Catholic in San Juan Capistrano, California, is trending toward Notre Dame after his visit to South Bend for the Irish’s November 7 matchup against Miami.
On3 recruiting analysts Adam Gorney and Steve Wiltfong have both logged expert predictions for Fa’alafi to land with Notre Dame. Those predictions are particularly encouraging considering the level of competition for a prospect who is emerging as one of the most intriguing offensive tackles in his recruiting class.
Even better for Notre Dame, the interest appears to be going beyond the excitement of a big recruiting weekend. Fa’alafi has made it clear that the Irish have separated themselves from the competition.
A unique background and an enormous recruiting ceiling
Fa’alafi isn’t your typical offensive line prospect. The New Zealand native originally played basketball before moving to the United States and transitioning to football in high school.
That background is particularly interesting when considering how much room he still has to develop. He is relatively new to the sport, yet he’s already establishing himself as one of the best offensive tackle prospects in the country.
Fa’alafi is listed at 6-foot-8 and 360 pounds by On3. He plays at JSerra Catholic, where he transferred ahead of his junior season after previously attending Bishop Montgomery in Torrance, California.
His recruiting rankings reflect just how highly regarded he is:
- Rivals: No. 25 nationally, No. 4 offensive tackle and No. 2 in California.
- 247Sports: No. 7 nationally and the No. 1 offensive tackle in its individual rankings.
- 247Sports Composite: No. 91 nationally and No. 10 offensive tackle.
There is some variation between the recruiting services, but there is little question that Fa’alafi is an elite national prospect.
247Sports recruiting analyst Gabe Brooks highlighted his enormous physical advantages, strength at the point of attack, and ability to overwhelm defenders. Brooks also pointed out that Fa’alafi has the athletic ability to potentially receive opportunities on either side of the offensive line, even though right tackle could ultimately be his best position.
The combination of his size, physicality, and limited experience playing football makes him a particularly intriguing developmental prospect.
Notre Dame made a massive impression during the Miami visit
Notre Dame had been working on Fa’alafi for quite some time, and the Irish secured a significant opportunity when he scheduled his November 7 visit for the Miami game.
It was an important recruiting weekend for head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff, with several highly regarded prospects making their way to South Bend.
Fa’alafi had already narrowed his recruitment to seven schools: Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Oklahoma, UCLA, BYU and USC. That’s an impressive group of programs, particularly considering the West Coast recruiting powers involved.
However, the Irish gave him plenty to think about during his trip.
Following the trip, he described the atmosphere as incredible, saying it was popping every second. He also had an opportunity to spend time with Notre Dame commits and other recruits before watching the Irish deliver one of their biggest victories of the season.
The experience clearly resonated.
One of the biggest factors was the relationships he has developed with Notre Dame’s coaching staff. Fa’alafi specifically mentioned Marcus Freeman, offensive line coach Joe Rudolph, and DJ Bryant as people who have helped make the program stand out.
He has also discussed the importance of Notre Dame’s academic opportunities and its religious environment. As a Christian, the opportunity to attend a Catholic university was something he viewed as a potential fit.
Perhaps the most important part of his comments came when discussing where Notre Dame stood in his recruitment.
Fa’alafi also plans to narrow his recruitment to a top three the following weekend, with his family playing an important role in the eventual decision. You should expect Notre Dame to be a part of that group.
Why landing Fa’alafi would be massive for Notre Dame… literally
There are several reasons why this would be such an important addition to Notre Dame’s 2028 recruiting class.
First, look at the competition.
Notre Dame isn’t battling a collection of programs that are simply throwing offers at an offensive lineman. Ohio State, Oregon, USC, and UCLA are all schools with significant recruiting resources and established offensive line traditions.
Winning a recruiting battle against those programs for an elite California prospect would be another example of Freeman’s ability to recruit nationally.
Second, consider the type of player Notre Dame would be getting.
Fa’alafi has the physical tools to become an outstanding college offensive tackle. At 6-foot-8 and 360 pounds, he already possesses the type of frame that offensive line coaches covet. He’s also relatively early in his football development, which creates plenty of excitement about what he could become with additional coaching.
Joe Rudolph would have an opportunity to work with an enormous offensive line prospect who has the potential to develop into a cornerstone of the unit.
Finally, there’s the bigger picture of Notre Dame’s recruiting momentum.
The Irish have consistently made offensive line recruiting a priority, and continuing to land elite players at the position is essential to maintaining the identity of the program.
Notre Dame has built its reputation around physical football, controlling the line of scrimmage and developing NFL-caliber offensive linemen. Adding a prospect with Fa’alafi’s potential would fit that identity perfectly.
The fact that Notre Dame appears to be in such a strong position with a player from Southern California is another positive for the program’s national recruiting reach.
The latest prediction is another encouraging sign
The predictions from Adam Gorney and Steve Wiltfong are certainly worth monitoring.
Both On3 recruiting analysts have now projected Fa’alafi to Notre Dame, adding momentum to a recruitment in which the Irish have already emerged as his current favorite.
It’s important to remember that a recruiting prediction isn’t a commitment. Ohio State and Oregon remain serious competitors, and Fa’alafi still has some decisions to make with his family.
However, Notre Dame has put itself in an excellent position.
The Miami visit gave the Irish an opportunity to showcase the program in front of one of the top offensive line prospects in the 2028 class. Beating the nation’s No. 1 team certainly didn’t hurt.
Now, Notre Dame appears to be benefiting from that experience.
Landing Fa’alafi would be a major recruiting victory for Freeman and Rudolph. Getting a player with his size, athletic potential, and developmental upside would be an outstanding addition to the 2028 class.
More importantly, it would be another example of Notre Dame going into a competitive national recruiting battle and coming out on top.
