Nation's No. 2 DL Recruit Emerges as Top Target for Four College Football Powerhouses

A top defensive lineman has four top programs on his short list.

Kirby Smart and Georgia recently hosted one of the nation's top defensive linemen and left him impressed. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

As the class of 2027 marches on, one of the top defensive lineman may be pruning his options. Off an unofficial visit to a top program, the nation's No. 2 ranked defensive lineman in the 2027 class is projected to have a favored four programs heading into spring. It's a strong group for one of the nation's best prospects.

Marcus Fakatou, a 6'7", 295-pound defensive line warrior from California who classified up from the 2028 class to 2027 is now No. 2 nationally among defensive line prospects in Rivals' Industry Rankings. That leaves Fakatou as the No. 28 player in the national class and the No. 3 prospect from the state of California. Fakatou recently took an unofficial visit to Georgia, and left impressed with the Bulldogs.

Fakatou's Favorites

Rivals expert Steve Wiltfong talked about Fakatou noticing the "energy" within the Georgia program. According to Wilftong, Fakatou was impressed with Georgia's practice routine and indicated that it felt like the NFL to him, and that he could see why Georgia is dominant in the SEC.

That said, the jump to UGA is quite a haul for Fakatou, and the Bulldogs are far from the only team involved in his recruitment. "There's been a lot of smoke around Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State in this recruitment, but Georgia is a place that he could really see himself flourishing and a program that you have to take seriously in this recruitment moving forward," said Wiltfong. Fakatou is about to take an unofficial visit to Michigan.

Elite DL Marcus Fakatou will visit Michigan this weekend as the Wolverines aim to regain momentum, @GregBiggins reports〽️

“They’re right there at the top.”

Details: https://t.co/2dsaYKXDq1 pic.twitter.com/9wqPyKnlAl

— Rivals (@Rivals) March 24, 2026

Official Visits Ahead

Fakatou is currently slated to take official visits to Ohio State in late May and then Texas, Oregon, and Michigan in June. With one visit left, it'll be interesting to see which program gets the fifth slot-- or if there are some unexpected changes.

Fakatour's Favorites and their Recruiting Outlook

Ohio State, Georgia, and Notre Dame are all ranked in the top seven teams in the 2027 national recruiting rankings from Rivals. Ohio State is No. 2, trailing behind only Oklahoma. The Buckeyes have taken nine verbal commitments so far, with five-star EDGE David Jacobs being the only defensive line prospect currently on board.

Georgia stands at No. 5 in the team rankings. The Bulldogs have seven verbal commitments already, with no defensive line recruits yet committed to UGA. Notre Dame is No. 7 in the rankings and has eight verbal commitments so far. The Irish do have a four-star Rivals Industry rated defensive lineman, Richie Flannigan from Wisconsin.

Michigan has been a bit slower than the other favorites to engage in the 2027 recruiting grabs. The Wolverines have just five verbal commitments so far and are ranked 22nd in the Rivals rankings. A four-star EDGE, in-state pickup Recarder Kitchen, is the only defensive lineman yet added for 2027.

Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham will soon host Fakatou for an unofficial visit, as the Wolverines remain a major factor in the recruitment. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images