Making sense of the Notre Dame 2027 defensive line board – Where things currently stand with less talked about targets
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There are some 2027 Notre Dame defensive line targets that not enough people are talking about. Where do things currently stand?
Notre Dame football is expecting some great news on Friday when elite 2027 Chicago (Ill.) St. Patrick defensive tackle David Folorunsho picks between the Fighting Irish, Miami, and Texas A&M. On top of Folorunsho and defensive end commit Aidan O’Neil, the other top names on the board are very well-known, including Abraham Sesay, Jackson Vaughn, Brayden Parks, and Tyler Alexander.
There are, however, some other 2027 defensive line targets who remain on the board for head coach Marcus Freeman, defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, and the Notre Dame staff. Here is the latest on some of that key depth on the board. That includes a couple of players that I don’t expect the Irish staff to pursue much moving forward.
Here is everything you need to know, and where things stand with each target.
DT Tevita Nonu – Seattle (Wash.) O’Dea
It took me by surprise to see Nonu include Notre Dame in his top five schools list earlier this week. After doing some investigating on the situation, he isn’t a player that Notre Dame is focusing on right now. There was some interest early but things didn’t go very far on either side. I would be surprised to see Nonu leave the West Coast and it definitely won’t be for South Bend if he does.
DT Segun Alexander – Rabun Gap (Ga.) Nacoochee
Originally a member of the 2028 recruiting class, Alexander just reclassified to 2027 this week. I expect Notre Dame to make a substantial push for the 6-3, 275-pound defender, who is coming off of a 13-sack 2025 season. There are other big time programs involved here, including Texas A&M, but there is some intrigue in the Fighting Irish. The next few weeks will be pivotal for their push.
EDGE Ifeanyi Emedobi – Fort Wayne (Ind.) Northrop
There has been some intrigue with Emedobi as an in-state target. That interest, however, has vanished over the last few weeks. I have been told that Emedobi will no longer be taking an official visit to South Bend later this offseason, which is largely due to where Notre Dame stands with several other top defensive end targets. There are also some questions surrounding Emedobi’s frame and physical upside.
DT Xavier Muhammad – South Houston (Texas) High School
With Notre Dame seemingly in solid footing, Muhammad committed to the Michigan Wolverines this week. The 6-4, 275-pound defensive lineman is a player that the Fighting Irish staff likes, so I anticipate them keeping communication with him. The recent news makes him an unlikely addition in the end, but you can never say never.
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