Marcus Freeman did an amazing job building a 2026 recruiting class that did not have any flips or de-commitments. There are 27 new recruits who will be heading to South Bend, and now Freeman is turning all of his attention to the Class of 2027.
The next big star the Fighting Irish are hoping to get a commitment from is five-star safety Honor Fa'alave-Johnson. The top-ranked safety has been named the No. 1 player at the position in the Class of 2027. Recently, Fa'alave-Johnson announced his Top 10 schools, and Notre Dame was able to make the cut.
The schools listed in Fa'alave-Johnson Top 10 are:
- Notre Dame
- USC
- Miami
- Oregon
- Penn State
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Texas A&M
- Ohio State
- Alabama
NEWS: Five-Star Safety Honor Fa’alave-Johnson is down to 10 Schools, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 16, 2025
The 6’1 190 S from San Diego, CA is ranked as the No. 1 Safety in the ‘27 Class (per Rivals Industry)
Where Should He Go? https://t.co/N6ctbucywt pic.twitter.com/MAripPdZx8
5-star safety Honor Fa'alave Johnson could be a potential Leonard Moore replacement
Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore will certainly have another season with Notre Dame, but after year three, he could be like Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price and take his talents to the NFL. After two seasons with the Irish, Moore has proved he has what it takes to compete at the high level of the NFL.
Losing Moore will inevitably be tough for Notre Dame, as he is a cornerstone part of the Irish defense, but a player like Fa'alave-Johnson could be a great replacement. Moore was a freshman when he started playing for Notre Dame as a starter, so it wouldn't be out of the question.
Fa'alave-Johnson is ranked as the No. 16 player in the Class of 2027, the No. 1 safety in the class, and the No. 1 player in the state of California, according to 247Sports.