Notre Dame football has been riding a massive wave of recruiting momentum over the last several weeks. There is no reason to believe that it will stop anytime soon under head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish. They have a chance to put together another outstanding group in the 2027 recruiting class.

For Notre Dame to secure another tremendous class, it’ll come down to landing some of the priority targets remaining on the board. Several talented players fill the “can’t miss” label for the 2027 class. Here are the targets that the Irish staff need to close on.

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

When you have a legacy recruit who also plays a major position of need, it makes Jones a very important target for the Fighting Irish in the 2027 recruiting class. Blessed with 10.5 100-meter speed and one of the highest football IQs in the 2027 wide receiver class, there isn’t much to dislike about Jones. With Notre Dame leading over Oregon right now, they’re trying their best to close the deal in the very near future. It would very much surprise me if the Irish staff didn’t get this one done.

EDGE Abraham Sesay – Exton (Pa.) Downingtown East

While there are other talented pass rushers on the board, Sesay has the highest upside of them all. Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep standout Aidan O’Neil was a tremendous early addition to the Irish 2027 class. At 6-5 and 240 pounds, O’Neil is more of a power-based EDGE who could eventually grow to an interior player. 

Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic pass rusher Jackson Vaughn is also trending quickly to Notre Dame amongst an elite offer list, who was originally a member of the 2028 class. While I love Vaughn and very much want him to be a part of the class, Sesay just has more upside between the two. The 6-5, 225-pound defensive end has elite potential working off the edge. He could be as good as the coaching around him allows him to be.

Two of David Folorunsho, Marcus Fakatou, and Brayden Parks

Notre Dame has put itself in a position for three potential difference makers on the interior defensive line – Chicago (Ill.) Brother Rice star Brayden Parks, Chicago (Ill.) St. Patrick standout David Folorunsho, and Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon behemoth Marcus Fakatou. For the Irish staff to really move the needle, they need to land at least two out of three of that group, and any combination would be great.

Parks is the player that Notre Dame is in the best spot for. Oregon has given them a run for the money, but they are still the leader for the 6-3, 305-pound interior presence. If this recruitment ends anytime soon, the Irish will be the favorite.

After some talk about Texas Tech several weeks ago, Notre Dame and Miami remain the leaders for Folorunsho. The 6-4, 285-pound defensive lineman has the frame and movement skills to play everywhere up front. This will be a battle until the end, but I do believe that the Irish have a strong chance right now.

Things are less certain when talking about Fakatou. Notre Dame led for the 6-7, 275-pound defender early on, but other programs like Ohio State, Georgia, and Oregon quickly made this one interesting. As of today, the Buckeyes are viewed as the biggest threat to land Fakatou. He has been on record that Notre Dame and Ohio State are his top two schools right now, but there is a lot of work in front of them.