Where Notre Dame football and HC Marcus Freeman will turn to next following missing out on elite TE Seneca Driver
There are two options on the 2027 tight end room to know for Notre Dame football after the loss of Seneca Driver.
Notre Dame football received some unfortunate news over the weekend when 2027 Danville (Ky.) Boyle County tight end Seneca Driver made his commitment to the Oklahoma Sooners. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish were viewed to be right near the top of the list for the 6-6, 235-pound athlete for some time, but faded down the stretch.
With elite physical traits and upside, as well as his family ties to Notre Dame, he is unquestionably a loss for the Irish. It is, however, a great tight end class in 2027, so the team has a great chance to recover. While there are several tight ends to keep a close eye on, and there is a possibility that the tight end board expands at some point, there appear to be two clear tight end targets to keep a close eye on.
That includes Denver (N.C.) East Lincoln star Jaxon Dollar and Oak Ridge (Tenn.) High School athlete Malik Howard. Notre Dame is believed to be in a good spot for both players right now, but closing will be important. Here is what you need to know about both Dollar and Howard.
Jaxon Dollar – Denver (N.C.) East Lincoln
Dollar is considered to be a top-100 overall player by multiple of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Dollar currently ranks as the No. 36 overall player, the No. 2 tight end, and the No. 2 player from the state of North Carolina for the 2027 recruiting class. That is a state that is more and more regularly putting out high-level talent. Notre Dame has continued to take notice.
If Notre Dame does win out for Dollar, they would be doing so against an extremely impressive offer list. Some of the top programs that have offered Dollar include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, Michigan, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Penn State, Florida, Florida State, Texas A&M, Miami, Auburn, Clemson, South Carolina, Missouri, NC State, UNC, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Arkansas, Boston College, Cincinnati, and Purdue, among others.
As a junior, Dollar has been a dynamic pass game weapon for East Lincoln. The 6-5, 222-pound managed to haul in 54 receptions for 1,190 yards and 20 touchdowns in 12 games. That is an average of 22 yards per reception, an absurd number for a tight end at his size. On top of completing a 63-yard pass, Dollar has also recorded 38 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a blocked kick on defense.
Malik Howard – Oak Ridge (Tenn.) High School
Howard is considered to be a near-consensus four-star player by each of the major recruiting platforms, the exception being Rivals, which has him rated as a three-star recruit right now. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Howard currently sits as the No. 227 overall player, the No. 9 tight end, and the No. 9 player from the state of Tennessee for the 2027 recruiting class. ESPN is highest on the Tennessee native currently, sitting as the No. 151 overall player in the country.
While the rankings are impressive for Howard, his offer list is even better. Some of his top offers currently include the Fighting Irish, Alabama, Tennessee, Michigan, Florida, LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Miami, Indiana, Florida State, Auburn, Missouri, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Nebraska, Vanderbilt, Colorado, Arkansas, Louisville, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Wisconsin, South Carolina, UNC, Maryland, Duke, and Purdue, among others.
As a junior in 2025, Howard put together a tremendous season for Oak Ridge High School. In 11 games, the 6-3.5, 231-pound pass catcher managed to haul in 53 receptions for 778 yards and 11 touchdowns, an average of 14.7 yards per reception. This is a dynamic passing game weapon with a ton of upside as his body continues to develop physically.