Notre Dame football landed a massive commitment to its 2027 recruiting class on Tuesday from Exton (Pa.) Downingtown East 5-star pass rusher Abraham Sesay. The talented defensive end opted for the Fighting Irish over LSU, Penn State, and Florida State, among others. It was a tremendous addition for head coach Marcus Freeman and the Irish staff.

Now that Sesay is in the class, let’s take a look at where things stand with some of the other more important 2027 targets. To make it more fun, here are my predictions for the next five commitments for Notre Dame. Despite some frustration with the Kaden Henderson recruitment yesterday, the Irish 2027 class has a chance to be tremendous.

WR Julius Jones Jr. – Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas 

As a legacy recruit for Notre Dame, Jones is a very important 2027 target overall. Beyond his familiar name, Jones also possesses tremendous upside as a wide receiver, including home-run speed and the ability to make big plays after the catch. Notre Dame continues to battle Oregon for the talented pass catcher, but they are very much the leader right now, and I would be shocked if he wasn’t the pick next Monday after his official visit. 

DT Brayden Parks – Chicago (Ill.) Brother Rice

The recruitment for Parks has been a wild ride so far. Oregon has made things difficult multiple times, but the latest feedback strongly favors the Fighting Irish, especially after his official visit to South Bend. Notre Dame will have to finish strong, but they clearly value the 6-3, 305-pound defensive tackle at a high level. Freeman and Co. are hard to win against down the stretch. I am not betting against them often this time of the year.

LB Roman Igwebuike – Chicago (Ill.) Mount Carmel 

Notre Dame didn’t have much momentum early, but that has changed under linebacker coach Brian Jean-Mary. They are going to have to beat out Clemson, Tennessee, and Indiana, but I believe they can after what they accomplished during the official visit this past weekend. The 6-3, 220-pound defender brings some insane versatility to play in the middle of a defense, while also rushing off the edge. They need to finish.

IOL Albert Simien – Lake Charles (La.) Sam Houston

Notre Dame is set for a massive official visit this weekend with Simien, who is considered to be a five-star player in the 2027 class. There is some confidence on the sides of Texas A&M and LSU, but I do believe that the Fighting Irish staff can get it done this weekend. Simien comes from a family that values relationships and high academic standards. That could very much play into their favor.

TE Jack McNamara (2028) – Chicago (Ill.) Brother Rice

While Notre Dame has had some mixed results in Chicago recently, McNamara has quickly become a player that they want in the 2028 class. At 6-5 and 235 pounds, he is a really talented athlete at the tight end position with all the upside in the world. There hasn’t been a firm timeline given from McNamara yet, but with the 2027 recruiting class slowly winding down, don’t be surprised if the Irish staff makes a strong push for several members of the 2028 class.