​Rivals has just unveiled its updated Top 300 football recruiting rankings and expanded its 5-Star ratings. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are prominently featured, with the 2027 class now boasting four 5-Star prospects in the current Rivals rankings. Notable Notre Dame commits appear at the top of the list, including No. 9 David Folorunsho (DL), No. 10 Albert Simien (OL), No. 16 Abraham Sesay (DE), and No. 20 Oluwasemilore Olubobola (OL). Rivals currently lists 23 five-star prospects in total. There’s a likelihood that the remaining two five-stars could come from a 32-player field, and when the 5th star is finally assigned, Irish safety commit Xavier Hasan, who is presently ranked No. 32, could be in line to receive it.
This development should come as no surprise to Notre Dame fans who follow recruiting even casually. Marcus Freeman has transformed Notre Dame from a solid recruiting program into a premier destination for elite talent. The transition didn’t happen overnight; it required patience, especially in an era shaped by the transfer portal and NIL considerations. Yet the trajectory is clear, and the results are beginning to match the rhetoric. Notre Dame’s 2026 class stands out as perhaps the best in the internet era, and the optimism surrounding 2027 is even higher. If the current momentum continues, 2027 has the potential to surpass not only this year’s class but also anything Notre Dame has produced in the recent past.
The combined strength of the 2026 and 2027 cohorts signals a return to Notre Dame’s recruiting dominance—an ascent reminiscent of storied eras under legendary coaches, including Lou Holtz. If the trend holds, we may look back and say that this was the period when Notre Dame reclaimed its status as a premier powerhouse in college football recruiting. The continued elevation of both classes suggests that the program is not just competing but dominating the landscape, positioning Notre Dame for sustained success on the field and in the rankings for years to come.