Historic Powerhouse 'Heavy Favorite' in 3-Way Race to Land College Football's No. 2 DL

Just a few days remain until one of the most promising defensive line prospects in the 2027 college football recruiting cycle makes his commitment official.

Four-star, No. 2 nationally ranked defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou has narrowed his interest to a pair of SEC hopefuls and one Big Ten powerhouse, but one school may have taken a decisive advantage against the other two late in his process.

Elite DL hopeful appears to be leaning one way

Historic Powerhouse 'Heavy Favorite' in Three-Way Race to Land College Football's No. 2 DL — @MarcusFakatou/X

For a player looking at development for an NFL career, it’s no surprise that Ohio State is making strides, now moving into a commanding lead in the Fakatou sweepstakes.

Fakatou now leans towards the Buckeyes with 93.4 percent likelihood, according to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine metric, mostly building on the connection between the prospect and positional coach Larry Johnson.

Rivals recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong concurred with that projection, naming the Buckeyes the heavy favorite to eventually land Fakatou based on his current dynamic with the program, and his rapport with Johnson and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.

SEC insurgents are still in the fight for the No. 2 in Cali

Georgia has maintained a strong and consistent connection with Fakatou throughout his recruitment since giving him an offer in early August of last year, and the Bulldogs are viewed as one of his most natural fits.

The No. 2 player from California took an official visit to Athens in late May and early June, with Georgia coaches coming away very impressed – “blown away,” as recounted in some reports – by Fakatou’s physical profile and intangibles.

Defensive identity and developmental track record along the front seven have Georgia sticking out from the crowd, but another SEC power is looking to make its case.

Texas is still in this, emerging as the third of Fakatou’s three finalists following their offer last January, and he was in Austin for the Longhorns’ statement upset win over undefeated rival Texas A&M late last season.

Steve Sarkisian’s program has been aggressive in defensive line recruiting this cycle, and their pitch centers on early and sustained interest and scheme fit for a versatile lineman of Fakatou’s size who can rush the pass from the outside and clog inside run lanes equally well.

Two schools fall out of the picture late

Fakatou was apparently set to visit another pair of college football hopefuls in the near future, but has decided against those trips as his recruitment nears its deadline soon.

Oregon and Notre Dame were supposed to host the California defensive lineman on their respective campuses, but Fakatou has canceled those upcoming visits to center his focus on those schools he’s closest to right now.

Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and Irish defensive line coach Charlie Partridge were developing relationships with the prospect in the hopes of pushing Ohio State and others out of his thinking, but that strategy doesn’t appear to have unfolded as planned.

(Rivals)

More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks

Add us as a preferred source on Google