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Irish Breakdown

What's Left for Notre Dame in 2027 Recruiting Class

Notre Dame landed one of its most important remaining pieces for 2027 in Julius Jones, Jr., but a few other key targets still remain
Nick Shepkowski|
Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts to the play against the Southern California Trojans during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium.
Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts to the play against the Southern California Trojans during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

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Notre Dame football picked up a massive commitment for the 2027 cycle on Monday when Julius Jones, Jr. made his decision official, picking the Fighting Irish over Miami.

That brought Notre Dame's total number of commitments up to 19, but work still remains at various different positions.

Here's a quick summary of Notre Dame's key recruiting targets that remain for this cycle, and how realistic the chance Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish has of ultimately landing commitments from each.

Wide Receiver Osani Gayles - Bradenton (IMG Academy), Florida

Notre Dame remains in contention for the four-star wide receiver from Florida powerhouse IMG Academy, but the need this cycle went down significantly after Jones committed to Notre Dame.

Don't get me wrong, adding a talent like Gayles would never be a bad thing, but right now Alabama needs him for their class a whole lot more, and all signs seem to point to the Crimson Tide ultimately landing the commitment.

Nick Shepkowski's Prediction: Alabama

Offensive Lineman Albert Simien - Lake Charles (Sam Houston), Louisiana

Simien would be a massive get on the offensive line, as he projects to be one of the very top interior linemen in the cycle.

Simien is fresh off a visit to South Bend that appears to have gone about as well as possible, but LSU and Texas A&M both very much remain alive for his commitment.

He announced that he'll make that commitment later this week. While I like Notre Dame's chances to land him more than either of the other schools, specifically, it sounds like being far from home is a real concern here.

I'll give Notre Dame a 40% chance, with Texas A&M and LSU both getting 30%. I think he really likes Notre Dame but sometimes you just can't beat being closer to home, which I fear here.

Nick Shepkowski's Prediction: LSU

Defensive Lineman Brayden Parks - Chicago (Brother Rice), Illinois

It's down to Notre Dame and Oregon for Parks, who was on the South Bend campus just over a week ago. He made his visit to Oregon this past week as well, and that's the two finalists for one of the best defensive linemen in the country.

Parks is Notre Dame's biggest remaining defensive lineman target after Tyler Alexander committed to Texas on Tuesday.

I ultimately like Notre Dame to pull this one out, but Dan Lanning and Oregon certainly aren't making things easy for the Godson of Fighting Irish legend Chris Zorich.

Nick Shepkowski's Prediction: Notre Dame

Segun Alexander, Defensive Lineman - Rabun Gap (Nacoochee), Georgia

Alexander is a reclassified prospect to the 2027 class from 2028. As a result, his recruiting rankings don't match the type of player he could be at the next level.

Fresh off a visit to Notre Dame, Steve Wiltfong and other experts are predicting he picks Notre Dame.

I would assume that's also the case, and even if he does, I don't think that will play into whether or not Parks ultimately commits to Notre Dame or not.

Nick Shepkowski's Prediction: Notre Dame

Roman Igewbuike, Linebacker - Chicago (Mt. Carmel), Illinois

Igwebuike might not be the highest rated remaining player on this list, but he may very well be the most important for Notre Dame this cycle.

The Fighting Irish are currently without a committed linebacker in the 2027 class after what has been a roller coaster ride.

The fact of the matter is that Igewbuike wouldn't solve all problems at the position if he commits this cycle, but landing a top 10 linebacker would be a solid consaltion prize considering its June 23 and no players at the position are currently committed.

I like the combination of Notre Dame's need and Igwebuike's interest in the program to get this one done for the Irish.

Nick Shepkowski's Prediction: Notre Dame

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Nick Shepkowski
NICK SHEPKOWSKI

Managing Editor for Notre Dame On SI. Started covering Chicago sports teams for WSCR the Score, and over the years worked with CBS Radio, Audacy, NBC Sports, and FOX Sports as a contributor before running the Notre Dame wire site for USA TODAY.

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