The early signing period, which opened on Wednesday, cemented one of the greatest Notre Dame recruiting classes in the Internet era of rankings. All 27 committed recruits signed to round out the No. 4 class in the nation, according to 247Sports. The group included four five-stars and 19 four-stars, with 14 players inside the top 250. Twelve different states were represented in the class, a reflection of Notre Dame’s nationwide recruiting push under head coach Marcus Freeman.
“I just thought we were very intentional about who we targeted,” Freeman said. “We were on the right guys. Nobody decommitted. They bought into what this place has to offer, and I’m excited for what their future holds.”
In his first three cycles, Freeman brought in some of the best classes in decades, rivaled only by Brian Kelly’s 2013 class. 2025 was a step back from that early momentum, with the class falling outside of the top 10 nationally. However, after a National Championship run and a concerted effort to expand geographically, Freeman and his staff have responded with their best class yet.
“I think we’ve always said that you come here and aspire to win national championships,” Freeman said. “These young people are seeing it and believe that they can reach that type of individual goal and team goal in the current landscape of college football.”
Instilling that belief in every single recruit has proven to be Freeman’s superpower. The buy-in he’s gotten from every player has proven fundamental to the success and resilience of his teams. It helped the Irish reach the title game last season. It helped them ride a 10-game win streak after a 0-2 start to 2025, despite not being selected to compete for a national championship.
Regardless of this Sunday’s disappointing result, the future is bright in South Bend. Here are three of the most promising players on both sides of the ball from Notre Dame’s 2026 class.
Offense
Ian Premer, tight end
Hailing from Great Bend, Kan., Ian Premer is 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, slotting in as the No. 1 tight end recruit in the country. With his massive frame and impressive high school resume, which includes the 2025 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year, Premer looks to be battle-tested and comprehensively prepared for the next level. During his senior season, he accumulated over 1,300 scrimmage yards, both on the ground and in the air, and he added 68 tackles and six interceptions on defense.
Besides just his prowess as a two-way football player, Premer impressed as an all-around, versatile athlete in high school, earning a Kansas State offer for basketball and recording a .476 batting average his sophomore baseball season. The five-star tight end is built to slot into a multitude of personnel situations, doubling as an elite receiving option and a skilled blocker. Scouts have praised his high football IQ and extreme competitiveness, traits that will fit right into the Fighting Irish locker room. With senior tight end Eli Raridon set to graduate this year, Premer should quickly slot into Notre Dame’s explosive passing attack.
Ben Nichols, interior offensive lineman/offensive tackle
Ben Nichols is a fundamental part of Notre Dame’s 2026 recruiting class on offense. The four-star lineman was ranked as the No. 6 interior offensive lineman in the country and the No. 2 overall recruit in Michigan. He is also a 2025 Under Armour All-American, one of the highest honors in the country for a high school football recruit. The 6-foot-6, 335-pound mauler held offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Iowa, Tennessee and a host of others, but ultimately chose the Irish. To him, his relationship with the coaches at Notre Dame played a significant role in his decision.
One of Nichols’s greatest strengths coming to Notre Dame is his versatility. Being as big as he is, he opens the possibility of playing any position on the offensive line. In high school, he spent time at center, guard and tackle. For his stature, he may find himself playing tackle for the Irish, but could certainly be an asset at his native guard as well.
Jonaz Walton, running back
Jonaz Walton, out of Carrollton, Ga., is one of Notre Dame’s most impressive signings of this 2026 recruiting class. Walton is a stout, quick runner with remarkable vision, which is why he has slotted in as the No. 11 running back in the country this recruiting cycle. Coming in at 5-foot-9 and 205 pounds, Walton is reminiscent of past Notre Dame star and successful Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams. His size is relatively average for a running back, but he is a strong, upright runner who has posted anywhere from 7.4 to 8.8 yards per carry throughout his high school career.
Just like much of this star-studded recruiting class, Walton impressed as a multi-sport athlete in high school, posting a 10.60 100m time and an impressive 47-9.5 in the shot put for Carrollton Central High School’s track and field team. Notre Dame has been churning out elite, NFL-caliber running backs every year in recent memory, headlined by this season’s two-headed monster of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Walton figures to continue that trend, toting a college and possibly NFL-ready skill set that will fit right into Notre Dame’s high-powered rushing offense. With the impending return of sophomore running back Aneyas Williams, it remains to be seen when Walton will factor into the rotation, but when he does he is poised to make a significant impact.
Defense
Rodney Dunham, edge rusher
Rodney Dunham is, without a doubt, the highlight of Notre Dame’s 2026 recruiting class as a whole. The five-star edge rusher was the highest-ranked recruit of Notre Dame’s 2026 class. Not only is he a five-star, but he is also ranked as the No. 8 overall recruit, No. 2 edge rusher and No. 2 overall recruit in North Carolina. Another interesting tidbit is that Dunham is an incredible athlete as a whole; the multi-sport athlete is also a highly touted baseball recruit, pitching upwards of 90 miles per hour and being ranked as a top 300 overall recruit by Perfect Game.
As for his skill on the gridiron, Dunham’s 6-foot-4, 227-pound frame is one of his greatest assets at his position. He expects to fill out to 240 pounds by the time he steps into his first game for the Irish, but his size already provides him with outstanding length for an edge rusher. He also utilizes his great bend and explosiveness off the line of scrimmage, which makes him a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. Although he runs out of a base 4-3 defense now, he expects to be utilized both as a stand-up or down lineman off the edge at Notre Dame and be a weapon on defense regardless.
Joey O’Brien, safety
Joey O’Brien, a safety out of La Salle College High School in Glenside, Pa., is one of the faces of Notre Dame’s star-studded 2026 recruiting class. The consensus five-star and No. 2 safety in the country is Notre Dame’s third-ranked recruit in this class, and his vast skillset tells that same story. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound defensive back was selected to the MaxPreps Junior All-American team in 2024, in a season where he shined as a two-way player, accumulating a single-season school-record 1,029 receiving yards while still shining on defense, totaling 36 tackles, 13 pass breakups and an interception.
Keeping with the theme of versatility, O’Brien was a quality basketball player in high school, receiving All-Catholic second team honors as a junior. Along with impressive athleticism, O’Brien shines through his incredible field awareness and discipline in shading passing windows. He lacks some of the foot speed necessary to man-to-man shadow an opponent’s star wideout, but his incredible hand positioning and ball skills make him a strong coverage safety who can generate turnovers. O’Brien had recruiting interest both as a defensive back and a wide receiver, making him one of the more unique and versatile prospects in this class. With much of the safety room, including redshirt sophomore Adon Shuler, returning next year, it may take some time for O’Brien to slot in, but when he does, he is sure to make a massive impact.
Khary Adams, cornerback
Khary Adams brings another exciting prospect to Notre Dame’s secondary. He is the highest-rated corner in its 2026 class and second-highest-ranked defensive back behind only safety Joey O’Brien. Adams is a four-star rated corner that is ranked as the No. 49 recruit nationally, No. 4 recruit in Maryland and No. 5 cornerback in the class of 2026. Adams has a solid build for a cornerback at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, and also held offers from Michigan, Penn State, Arizona and South Carolina before choosing the Irish.
More than anything, Adams is known as a freak athlete both on and off the football field. He runs some blazing track times, including a 21.50-second 200-meter dash and a 10.74-second 100-meter dash. He also got time as both a receiver and kick returner in high school, but primarily excelled as a zone coverage corner. However, he is still seen as an eraser in man coverage that will fit right into the Notre Dame scheme of primarily man. Going forward, Adams could step in as a day-one contributor for the Irish defense and holds all of the tools to eventually excel even beyond his time at Notre Dame.
All rankings according to 247Sports.
