Notre Dame Was Always The Right Choice For Elite Lineman David Folorunsho
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Notre Dame picked up a huge commitment yesterday when five-star defensive tackle David Folorunsho chose the Irish over Miami, Georgia, Michigan and Texas Tech. The Irish have been working hard for months to land Folorunsho, who gives Notre Dame an elite interior prospect in the 2027 class.
There were many factors that led the Chicago, Ill./St. Patrick star to picking Notre Dame, but at the top of the list was relationships with the Irish staff. That includes defensive line coach Charlie Partridge and head coach Marcus Freeman. This is another big win on the trail for Partridge, who has made a strong splash since arriving in January.
"Just the relationships you've [built] with the coaches over the past couple of months, just knowing that and believing in what Coach Freeman is doing over there," Folorunsho told Irish Breakdown's Shaun Davis. "I really like Coach Partridge and how he develops his players and just relationships I've built with him over the past couple months. So it was just a great deal overall."
That relationship with Partridge was especially impactful. Folorunsho didn't get offered until February, so Partridge was the only position coach that worked to get Folorunsho in the class.
"The first time meeting him was great. He's a real up-front guy," stated the 6-3, 285-pound defensive tackle. "He tells you how it is and just getting to be in a room with him and just watch film and all that good stuff. You could tell what type of person he is and how much of a developer he really is. Just knowing that, aren't many coaches that really do that. So just knowing that he's a real football guy, real football developer, all about football, all about making you better. That's what I'm about."
Notre Dame was always a top contender for Folorunsho, but it wasn't until his April 25th visit when he knew this one was over.
"Right after I got off the trip with my mom, the second time. We talked a little bit on the car ride home and we were like 'Yeah, this was it'," explained Folorunsho.
Early in the recruiting process, Folorunsho stated that Notre Dame was his dream school. As more and more schools showed interest, Folorunsho decided he wanted to see what other programs had to offer. At the end of the day, the pull to South Bend was just too strong, and the reasons Notre Dame was his dream school never went away.
"It played a big part, it was always in the back of my head knowing that," Folorunsho stated. "Notre Dame was a big one for me. So just knowing that, I always want to play at Notre Dame. I've been around Notre Dame people; my trainer (Kerry Neal) is a Notre Dame guy, my president (Dan Santucci) is a Notre Dame guy, my head coach (Tom Zbikowski) is a Notre Dame guy. I can keep going on and on."
Although Notre Dame was where his heart was at the beginning and ultimately at the end, a number of programs gave Folorunsho plenty to think about. That journey made it a tougher decision than expected, but also created certainty in why Notre Dame was the best pick.
"I did love each and every school, but I feel like Notre Dame put themselves away from the crowd a little bit just by life after football," noted Folorunsho. "The coaches that I've built a relationship with and all that good stuff, so that was just the main thing with me. I really appreciate the coaches that recruited me. I got the time to meet and the relationships we built, but Notre Dame was the one for me."
With his decision now in the rearview mirror, Folorunsho will focus on finishing his high school career on a high note, which includes a championship for St. Patrick.
"The main thing [is] winning state championship," stated Folorunsho. "I have some of my personal accolades that I want to achieve; All-Conference, All-State, all that good stuff. That doesn't mean anything if you didn't take your guys along with you. So that's just the main thing with me, just trying to take my guys along with me and try to be the best player I can be."
Landing Folorunsho gives Notre Dame one of the top players in the country. He earned a 5.0-star upside grade on the Irish Breakdown board and also ranks as the nation's No. 9 overall player — and No. 2 defensive lineman — according to Rivals/On3. He is now one of the prized pickups in a class that Notre Dame hopes will once again be among the nation's best.
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