Ever since the Notre Dame Fighting Irish lost Brian Kelly to LSU, the program has been on a massive upward trajectory. The decision to elevate Marcus Freeman to head coach couldn't have worked out better as the Irish are starting to become a bigger National Championship threat than they ever were under Kelly. The biggest reason for the change in direction for the program is the effort on the recruiting trail.
The excuse under Brian Kelly was always that Notre Dame couldn't recruit the same level of elite players that the schools the Irish would face in the Playoff could. Marcus Freeman and his staff have recruited at a much higher level, proving Kelly's excuse wrong as they continue to stack elite recruiting classes.
Predicting the next 5-star commit for Notre Dame
As things currently stand, Notre Dame holds the Nation's 6th ranked recruiting class headlined by their lone 5-star commitment Oluwasemilore Olubobola. Marcus Freeman will look to work his way up the rankings with the top 5 in sight before pushing for a top 3 class. The easiest way to make that leap is by adding another 5-star recruit to the mix.
With official visit season kicking off, all eyes for Notre Dame are on 5-star edge rusher Abraham Sesay. The 5-star recruit has a final six of Notre Dame, Penn State, Duke, Florida State, Miami, and South Carolina, but the Irish look like the clear frontrunner.
According to Rivals' Industry Recruiting Rankings, Abraham Sesay is the 31st ranked player in the country, the 5th ranked edge rusher in the class, and the 3rd ranked player out of Pennsylvania.
The Irish got Sesay back on campus this Spring, and the praise for the program couldn't have been a better sign for Marcus Freeman's group.
5-star EDGE Abraham Sesay just got off an “amazing” visit to Notre Dame, he tells @SWiltfong_ ☘️
— Rivals (@Rivals) April 24, 2026
“I love Coach Freeman’s care for the program. He could’ve gone anywhere, but the love for Notre Dame in his heart is real.”
Read: https://t.co/LGa4HF0gpY pic.twitter.com/2r4bradpVP
Sesay is expected to take 4 official visits to LSU on May 29th, Duke on June 5th, Notre Dame on June 12th, and Florida State on June 19th.
Marcus Freeman and company will have to hope that none of the other programs getting an official visit make a big move, otherwise the Irish could have a bigger battle than most expect. The good news is that Notre Dame has a major lead, and the official visit could end up sealing the deal for the Irish.
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