While Notre Dame football is putting together another elite 2027 recruiting class, the linebacker class remains a major question mark. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish currently hold a commitment from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standout Amarri Irvin, and he is a solid start to a good group. There are, however, some concerns with both Irvin and the remaining board right now.

It was reported that Irvin took an official visit to Michigan State last weekend, which is his father’s alma mater. There is clearly some unrest from Irvin, but as of now, I do expect him to stay in the Notre Dame 2027 class. Things can always change, but the Irish staff is moving as if he will be a part of the class when all is said and done.

Linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary and the Irish staff were dealt an unfortunate blow this week when top-100 Mililani (Hawaii) High School linebacker Toa Satele committed to Oregon. Notre Dame was set to receive an official visit from Satele next week, but things have clearly changed. The Irish staff is going to pivot to a couple of important targets that remain on the board.

Here is the latest on 2027 linebacker recruiting.

The top targets remaining 

It is a very small linebacker board, and really, there are only two targets worth talking about currently. Here are the two talented linebackers to know.

Kaden Henderson – Tampa Bay (Fla.) Jesuit

Texas A&M continues to be the biggest competitor for Notre Dame’s push for Henderson, and Miami is another top school to know. There is optimism on the Irish side that they can get this one done, but I am still not quite as optimistic. Freeman and Co. are going to push hard until the very end. We will be keeping a close eye on where things stand during the month of official visits.

Roman Igwebuike – Chicago (Ill.) Mount Carmel

There are a lot of Notre Dame fans who have been critical of Jean-Mary’s recruiting efforts so far, but without him, they wouldn’t be in the position they are with Igwebuike. He was a player that the Fighting Irish had no momentum with. That has changed over the last month or so. I think it’s about 50/50 for whether Notre Dame can get this one done. There is some cautious optimism growing on their side.

The most likely finish

As of today, I think Notre Dame has a chance at both Henderson and Igwebuike, but I wouldn’t call them the favorite for either. With how well Freeman and Co. have closed during official visits, however, I will give them the odds to close on one, but I don’t think they get both. For a little bit of fun, I will predict that they pull off a bit of an upset for Henderson, but it very well could end up being Igwebuike in the end. Notre Dame needs to land at least one of them to recover accordingly.

From there, it is about solidifying things with Irvin. He clearly is keeping his eyes open, but folks on the Notre Dame side seem confident that Irvin will remain in the class, at least for now. The Irish staff needs to sign at least two linebackers in the 2027 recruiting class to continue replenishing that room.