Notre Dame football misses out on a top-100 recruit during a wild last-second turn of events before decision day
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Notre Dame just suffered a tough loss in the 2027 recruiting class. What was the reason, and what’s next for the Fighting Irish?
In a wild turn of events, Notre Dame received some bad news on Monday morning from 2027 Middletown (Del.) Appoquinimink top-100 offensive tackle Layton von Brandt. As the assumed leader for von Brandt, head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish staff were expecting to continue their strong momentum in the 2027 recruiting class.
Instead, the Delaware native opted for the Auburn Tigers over Notre Dame, Florida, and Penn State. Von Brandt was a silent commitment to offensive line coach Joe Rudolph and the Fighting Irish for over a week, but that didn’t stop Auburn from swooping in and making their final pitch. Notre Dame went from the team to beat for months to bailing out in a few hours this weekend.
With how talented a player von Brandt is, there is no question that this is a loss for the 2027 Fighting Irish class. It is, however, an understandable decision to make. Sometimes the fit just doesn’t make sense in the end, especially when demands and expectations change in the eleventh hour. Notre Dame will pivot to go all in for a potentially elite conclusion to their offensive line class.
Now that von Brandt isn’t in the class, all eyes turn to elite 2027 Lake Charles (La.) Sam Houston standout Albert Simien, who Notre Dame will host for an official visit on June 19-21. Even with the recent letdown, this program will not stop pursuing Simien. He is the type of player that you always have a spot for, no matter what, and especially after the von Brandt news.
If Notre Dame is able to land Simien this Summer, it would be a huge exclamation point for an elite 2027 haul on the offensive line. Simien is currently rated as a five-star and the No. 13 overall player in the 2027 class on the 247 Sports Composite ranking. The Irish staff is battling LSU and Texas A&M for the Louisiana native right now, and Notre Dame should have a very real chance to win out in the end.
Layton von Brandt’s recruiting background
Von Brandt is considered a four-star player by all major recruiting platforms and a near-consensus top-100 player by each. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Von Brandt ranks as a top-70 player, sitting at No. 64 overall, the No. 5 offensive tackle, and the No. 1 in the state of Delaware for the 2027 recruiting class. That is not a traditional area for Notre Dame to target, but Von Brandt is just that good, which is why he was a big priority for them.
Even before Von Brandt committed to the Nittany Lions in November of 2025, there was a long list of impressive suitors pursuing the talented offensive lineman.
The 6-6.5, 281-pound offensive tackle has an extremely impressive offer list. When you turn on his film, it is easy to see why. Some of the top schools that had offered him include the Fighting Irish, Penn State, Ohio State, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State, Missouri, Auburn, Indiana, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Boston College, Virginia, UNC, Stanford, Syracuse, and Rutgers, among several others.
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