Notre Dame suffered a loss in the 2027 recruiting class with top-100 OT Layton von Brandt. What is next for Fighting Irish recruiting?
Notre Dame received some bad news on Monday morning when 2027 Middletown (Del.) Appoquinimink top-100 offensive tackle Layton von Brandt committed to the Auburn Tigers . Considered a long recruiting lean to the Fighting Irish, von Brandt opted for the Tigers over Notre Dame, Florida, and Penn State. It was a late shocker that began circulating on Sunday night.
In the wonderful world of recruiting, things can change very quickly. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Irish staff must now quickly regroup, and I expect them to do so. To gain a general sense of where things stand with other top recruiting targets, let's predict the team’s next five commitments.
Here are the next five commits that could be for Notre Dame. That includes a potential 2028 recruiting target to know. It would be a tremendous haul of players.
Vaughn opted to reclassify to the 2027 class from 2028 recently, giving Notre Dame another opportunity to bring in another potentially elite pass rusher. The 6-4, 225-pound pass rusher has been a dominant force against some of the best competition in high school football. The Irish lead for one of the higher-upside defensive ends in the 2026 class, who recently set a commitment date of May 26.
As a legacy recruit for Notre Dame, Jones is a very important 2027 target overall. Beyond his familiar name, Jones also possesses tremendous upside as a wide receiver, including home-run speed and the ability to make big plays after the catch. Notre Dame continues to battle Oregon for the talented pass catcher, but they are very much the leader right now.
At 6-5 and 225 pounds, Sesay is a dynamic pass rusher with all the upside in the world. Rated among the top 100 players by multiple recruiting platforms, Sesay would be a tremendous addition to the 2027 Notre Dame class. They are currently battling Penn State for the talented defensive end, so this one isn't over yet. I do, however, like where the Irish stand.
While Notre Dame has had some mixed results in Chicago recently, McNamara has quickly become a player that they want in the 2028 class. At 6-5 and 235 pounds, he is a really talented athlete at the tight end position with all the upside in the world. There hasn't been a firm timeline given from McNamara yet, but with the 2027 recruiting class slowly winding down, don't be surprised if the Irish staff makes a strong push for several members of the 2028 class.
There’s been a lot of buzz building around James recently, and for good reason. Despite being committed to the Longhorns since December, James has kept his options open, including visiting South Bend earlier this offseason. Notre Dame should have a solid chance to make a flip happen, especially if they can get him back for an official visit. James is a player they want, especially with California standout Gavin Williams now off the board.
