Notre Dame football is set for a make-or-break stretch with a priority 5-star recruiting target
Notre Dame has a big opportunity in front of them with one of the top overall players in the 2027 recruiting class. It’s Marcus Fakatou time.
Notre Dame football has had a busy few weeks on the recruiting trail, and the momentum isn’t slowing down anytime soon. When it comes to the 2027 recruiting class, there might not be a bigger target on the board than elite Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou. He is a player that head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish have been prioritizing for a long time.
The Irish staff have been pushing hard for Fakatou, but they understand this is a recruitment where they will have to fight until the very end. There has been some good news recently that should only strengthen Notre Dame’s chances. That includes being named to his top schools list, joined by Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, and Oregon in that final group.
Fakatou has also set an official visit to Notre Dame on June 15-17. The California standout will also be checking out Ohio State (May 29-31), Georgia (June 1-3), Texas (June 5-7), and Oregon (June 12-14). The Fighting Irish, having the final official visit, could be a massive opportunity to put together their final pitch, especially with them fighting with the Buckeyes for the top spot on his list.
Notre Dame is in a great spot with elite pass rusher Abraham Sesay, talented defensive end Jackson Vaughn, as well as defensive tackles Brayden Parks and David Folorunsho right now. Even if the Irish staff can’t close on Fakatou, they still have a great chance of putting together an elite group. If they can close, however, then we are talking about a historical class.
Marcus Fakatou’s recruiting background
Fakatou is extremely well-liked by the major recruiting services so far. In the early 247 Sports ranking for the 2028 recruiting class, the California native was rated as the No. 3 overall player, No. 1 defensive lineman, and No. 1 player in the state of California. Even with Fakatou reclassifying to the 2027 class, he is still considered to be an elite-level prospect. On the Composite ranking, he is rated as a five-star recruit, the No. 35 overall player, the No. 2 defensive lineman, and the No. 3 player from the state of California.
Even though Fakatou made that reclassification jump, a long list of impressive programs has already been pursuing him. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, USC, Penn State, Miami, Auburn, Nebraska, SMU, BYU, Arizona State, Missouri, Utah, Washington, Colorado, Minnesota, Arizona, Syracuse, and Cal, among many others.
Even as a “freshman” in 2024, Fakatou made a lot of plays for a very talented Orange Lutheran squad. The 6-7, 275-pound athlete managed to record 28 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and five sacks. He was even better in 2025, finishing the season with 69 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, seven sacks, 14 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, and eight blocked kicks. The inside-out versatility is tremendous.