Notre Dame's Historic 2027 Defensive Line Class Keeps Getting Better
Ryan Robert's reacts to the Notre Dame's newest commitment from Segun Alexander and what it means for a historic 2027 Fighting Irish class
Video Transcript
And as we stand today, David Falorunsho, Sagan Alexander, and there's gonna be one spot available for Braden Parks.
I just didn't think that you were necessarily ever going to take all three of those players.
They made their decision.
Sagan Alexander's their guy.
Now all eyes turn to Braden Parks.
He is the remaining cog on the table for what is already an elite defensive line class.
Like, if you ended today and you said you have Abraham Sesay, you have Aiden O'Neill, you have Jackson Vaughn, you have David Falorunsho, and you have Sagan Alexander, that's an elite class.
And honestly will probably end up being ranked, if not the best defensive line class in the twenty twenty-seven group nationally, one of the top two to three.
Like, that class is elite, and I would argue one of the best that Notre Dame has signed since the turn of the century at least.
I mean, maybe since the nineties in terms of, like, a full class.
I know some people look back at, like, the Aaron Lynch, Stephon Tuitt, Ishak Williams class.
That class lacked a cohesiveness in terms of the interior defensive line class was not nearly as good as the edge group.
This class with Falorunsho, with Sagan Alexander, and maybe Aiden O'Neill eventually develops into an interior defensive lineman.
We'll see how his body develops.
That is a complete group.
If you get Braden Parks, though, the conversation's done in terms of, "Is this the best since the Aaron Lynch class?"
The conversation then tilts to, "Is this the best since the Lou Holtz era?"
That is how good this class could be.
'Cause as of today, you talk about that cohesiveness I keep saying, how everything fits together.
Abraham Sesay is your stud of the group in terms of the edge guys.
A six-foot-five, two hundred and twenty-five pound kid that will be two hundred and fifty pounds in the blink of an eye, long, explosive.
That's an NFL pass rusher.
That's an NFL defensive end.
That's the body type, that's the style, that's the explosiveness, that's everything.
And then you also bring Aiden O'Neill, who's more of the physical, power-based end who's gonna do a lot of the dirty work.
And then not to mention, you get Jackson Vaughn, who's a little bit smaller than both those players, but might have a little bit more juice coming off the line of scrimmage, like explosiveness, maybe an early designated pass rusher role.
Lot to love about what Jackson Vaughn brings to the table.
Then you go to the inside and you say, David Falorunsho, if he hits, that kid might have the most talent of anybody in that group, and he might have legit high round NFL upside on the next level.
Sagan Alexander's in similar mold.
He might not be quite as long as what-- well, Sagan Alexander actually is long, but, like, he might not be quite as body type and high-end traits as a David Falorunsho, but he's not far behind.
If he was not a reclassification kid, this kid would be rated, in my opinion, as a top one hundred and fifty player in the twenty twenty-seven class if he took a traditional route to get to here.
And then not to mention, if you get Braden Parks, you got a top one fifty nose tackle who at six foot two, three hundred and ten pounds, is going to work the point of attack and do a lot of the dirty work.
This has the chance to be one of the most complete classes that Notre Dame has ever signed on the defensive line.
And the acquisition and the landing of Sagan Alexander, while he has changed the formula a little bit, he has helped to solidify an elite group and a historic one to boot.
