Notre Dame takes a massive step toward landing one of the more underrated 2027 recruiting targets on the board
Notre Dame’s defensive line recruiting is trending toward a historic group in 2027. There is an underrated target to keep a close eye on.
Notre Dame football is currently putting together an elite defensive line group for the 2027 recruiting class. Head coach Marcus Freeman and defensive line coach Charlie Partridge are working their magic on the recruiting trail, and the good news isn’t close to being over. Not by a long shot.
The Fighting Irish have put together a great early three-man class of David Folorunsho, Aidan O’Neil, and Jackson Vaughn. Several key targets remain on the board. There might not be a more interesting recruiting target to keep a close eye on than 2027 Wellington (Fla.) Palm Beach Central defensive tackle Tyler Alexander.
While some bigger names are remaining on the board, Alexander is a player that Notre Dame likes. The talented defensive tackle is set to return to South Bend for an official visit on Jun 12-14, and even while the Irish await that return, they took a huge step forward toward potentially landing in the end.
Alexander put out a top schools list on Wednesday, which included four notable programs. Notre Dame was included on that list. The Fighting Irish were joined by Georgia, Texas, and Colorado in that top group.
Notre Dame is moving in a solid direction with Alexander, but I am interested to see how the rest of the board shapes up. The Irish staff is still pushing hard for defensive end Abraham Sesay, defensive tackle Brayden Parks, and hybrid defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou. Some elite names remain high on the Irish program.
Tyler Alexander’s recruiting background
Alexander is considered to be a four-star player on the ESPN ranking, while sitting as a three-star by both Rivals and 247 Sports. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Alexander currently ranks as a four-star, the No. 413 overall player, the No. 47 defensive lineman, and the No. 39 player from the state of Florida for the 2027 recruiting class. ESPN has him rated as the No. 289 overall player and the No. 28 defensive lineman in the class.
Despite some inconsistent recruiting rankings, a long list of impressive programs has been pursuing Alexander. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Texas A&M, Miami, Florida State, Auburn, Missouri, Nebraska, Louisville, Pitt, Kentucky, Colorado, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Maryland, UCF, Syracuse, and Rutgers, among several others.
As a junior in 2025, Alexander put together a tremendous season for Palm Beach Central. In 11 games, the 6-3.5, 315-pound defensive tackle finished with 46 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. Alexander also posted 21 more quarterback hurries. He is a massive interior presence who has better movement skills than you would expect for a player his size.