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Notre Dame has landed yet another talented player in the 2027 class, this time picking up a commitment from Georgia defensive tackle Segun Alexander. The 6-2, 290-pound standout picked the Irish over Texas, Clemson and many others. He is also another player to pick the Irish who reclassified from the 2028 class, joining Florida quarterback Champ Monds and New Jersey defensive end Jackson Vaughn.

Let's take a look at the class impact for Alexander, as well as how he fits into the Irish system and we'll break down his game.

NOTRE DAME CLASS IMPACT

Alexander is the 19th player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2027 class. He's also the ninth defensive player and second defensive tackle, joining Illinois standout David Folorunsho. 

Notre Dame landed an outstanding two-man class in the 2026 cycle when it signed Florida star Elijah Golden and Texas big man Tiki Hola. Combined with 2025 signee Christopher Burgess Jr. moving inside, Notre Dame has done a good job restocking the interior in the last two classes. That means Notre Dame didn't really "need" a lot of numbers at defensive tackle in the 2027 class, it needed to land impact players. Landing Folorunsho certainly gave Notre Dame an impact interior player, and now adding Alexander to the class gives the Irish yet another impact and disruptive interior defensive lineman.

By landing Alexander and Folorunsho, Notre Dame has added a significant boost in explosiveness, power and playmaking ability to the interior of the defensive line. Combine that with last year's duo and the Irish have done an impressive job rebuilding the defensive line. Notre Dame also has commitments from Pennsylvania defensive end Abraham Sesay, New Jersey defensive end Jackson Vaughn, New Jersey defensive end Aidan O'Neil, giving the Irish an elite five-man haul along the defensive line.

NOTRE DAME FIT

Under defensive coordinator Chris Ash, the Notre Dame defense is built up front to first and foremost shut down the run. After that, Ash wants the defensive line to be able to disrupt the offense and get after the quarterback. Alexander fits that mold to a T, possessing an impressive combination of power and explosiveness, which helps him dominate against the run. He also had 13 sacks as a sophomore, showing off impressive pass rushing skill. His all-around ability to dominate up the middle is an ideal fit for the Irish scheme under Ash and first-year defensive line coach Charlie Partridge.

FILM ANALYSIS

Alexander is built very well, and it's been interesting to see how that part of his game has been viewed. Originally listed at 6-4 and 260 pounds, Alexander is actually more like 6-2 and closer to 290 pounds. He has a thick build and is going to keep filling out and getting stronger, but what stands out now is how impressive his natural power is for a player that was just a sophomore during the 2025 season. Alexander has elite length, and he's just now learning how to use it as a weapon. He's got the kind of low center or gravity build that we've seen work so well for past Notre Dame interior players like Howard Cross III, Donovan Hinish, Kurt Hinish and Jayson Ademilola, but I'd argue he has even more natural power potential.

What makes Alexander such an intriguing prospect, and a big reason why so many programs like Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Clemson and Georgia made a run at him is his athleticism. Alexander explodes off the football and plays with naturally good pad level. He quickly gets under the pads of opponents and he can shoot gaps extremely well. His closing speed to the football is outstanding, and it's a reason he makes so many plays on the ball. It's also something that makes him an impact pass rusher at the prep level. In fact, Alexander is actually quite good playing on the edge for Rabun Gap. There are some looks where he could play there for Notre Dame (odd fronts), but it's an example of how explosive he is athletically. Those traits combine with his length to give him a chance to be a productive interior pass rusher.

Alexander's combination of explosiveness and power — especially with his hands — should help him be a stout run defender at the next level. He will need to really work to learn the proper technique, but Alexander shows a relentless motor on film, and he uses his length to keep blockers off his body and his power with block destruction stands out. As he learns to keep his pads lower, improves his moves repertoire and learns to use his hands even better he'll have a chance to be a dominant run defender at the next level as well. He's quite raw technically and he'll have a lot to learn, but the natural tools are outstanding. 

What Notre Dame lacked up the middle of its defensive line in 2025 was playmaking. The interior DTs did their job at a high level, but they weren't playmakers on the ball. What gives Alexander a 5.0-star upside grade on my board is that his combination of explosive athletic skill, natural power and motor make him a highly impactful interior defender at the prep level. Those traits project quite well to the next level, and as he continues to reshape his body, add more weight room strength and especially as he learns better technical prowess under Charlie Partridge he has a chance to give the Irish the kind of playmaker it wants and needs in the middle of the defense.

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