Notre Dame football predicted to land elite Five-star defender following an extraordinary return visit to South Bend
Notre Dame football has had quite the last few days from a recruiting perspective, putting together several impressive visits for key 2026 targets. That includes five-star Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park pass rusher Rodney Dunham, who is fresh off of a return visit to South Bend this weekend. That trip went pretty well, to say the […]
Notre Dame football has had quite the last few days from a recruiting perspective, putting together several impressive visits for key 2026 targets. That includes five-star Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park pass rusher Rodney Dunham, who is fresh off of a return visit to South Bend this weekend. That trip went pretty well, to say the least.
It went so well that Steve Wiltfong, the On3 Vice President of recruiting, put in an expert prediction for Notre Dame to land Dunham. The Fighting Irish have been battling the likes of Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Duke for the elite recruit. It appears the Irish could be in pole position.
Since very early on in the process, Dunham is a player that Notre Dame has viewed as a major priority. For people that hyperfocus on star ratings, you’ll love the most recent news for Dunham. On the On3 Consensus ranking, Dunham currently sits as a five-star player and the No. 19 overall player in the 2026 class.
Dunham is considered a consensus four-star recruit by every major recruiting platform, and is nearly a top-50 overall player by each service as well. 247Sports is especially high on Dunham, currently ranked as the No. 14 overall player and No. 2 EDGE in the 2026 recruiting class. That ranking also has Dunham pegged as the No. 2 player in the state of North Carolina, one that has been very good to the Irish recently.
There is a long list of outstanding programs that are pushing for Dunham. The 6-4, 228-pound defensive end currently holds offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Auburn, and Florida State among many others.
As a junior, Dunham was able to record 29 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, five sacks, 16 quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, and a blocked kick for his high school. Dunham is also a tremendous baseball player for Myers Park, and could explore options to play both on the next level potentially.
If Notre Dame is able to win out in the end, this is a monumental victory for defensive line coach Al Washington. There have been some negative members of the d fanbase that have complained that the Irish staff doesn’t get enough five-star players. That could be changing very soon.
Notre Dame football has a chance to make a statement with a Georgia commit soon and continue to eye a flip
Notre Dame has a big opportunity in front of them.
