After coming up short in the College Football National Championship earlier this year, Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have stayed busy, working hard on their 2026 recruiting class. As of June 25, the program holds a top-five ranking across the nation, including the 14th nationally ranked prospect: five-star Edge Rusher Rodney Dunham.
Notre Dame has the No. 2-ranked recruiting class, and it's LOADED with talent on defense😲
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) June 20, 2025
17 of their 19 total commits rank as blue-chip prospects. https://t.co/YGONcLE9b6 pic.twitter.com/tLcYohje4f
Coming out of Charlotte, NC, Dunham boasts a 6-foot-4, 225 pound frame. The No. 2 EDGE in the country held offers from Duke, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia, but decided to head to South Bend and play for Freeman.
Rodney Dunham headlines a group filled with talent, including 16 four-star and four three-star commits for a total of 21 commits before the Summer is even over. The Fighting Irish's recruiting classes have been outside the top 10 for the last three years, dating back to their 2022 group that ranked seventh. Marcus Freeman seems to be on a mission to get back there, getting ahead of his opponents.
The top of Notre Dame's 2026 class is defense-heavy, with Joey O'Brien and Khary Adams rounding out the top three. Joey O'Brien is the top-ranked player in Pennsylvania, as well as the 40th-ranked overall player and fifth-ranked safety in the nation with serious potential to end the cycle as a 5-star recruit. Khary Adams is the fourth-ranked player coming out of Maryland, as well as the eighth-ranked cornerback and 67th overall player in the country.
Marcus Freeman has built a winning culture in South Bend, as he's now up to a 33-10 record over his tenure as the head coach of the Fighting Irish. His success on the recruiting trail and developing talent has made Notre Dame one of the most sought after programs in the Country for incoming freshmen.
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