David Folorunsho‘s recruitment hit overdrive earlier this year when he became a nationally coveted defensive line prospect in the 2027 class. Now the 5-star defensive lineman is yet another massive get for Notre Dame as it continues a red-hot May recruiting cycle. Folorunsho made his pledge to the Fighting Irish on Friday afternoon, picking Marcus Freeman and Co. over Georgia, Michigan, Miami, and Texas Tech.
David Folorunsho gives Notre Dame football another massive May recruiting win
The win over the Hurricanes is especially one that ND can relish, considering the two schools have seen their old rivalry spark back up in the last few years. Freeman and his crew (and especially the players) have mentioned Miami more than a few times this offseason. They're obviously talking about what they want on the field but the rivalry is on the recruiting front.
Now, Notre Dame has another edge on the Hurricanes with the addition of Folorunsho. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive lineman plays high school football for St. Patrick High School in Chicago, Illinois. He is the No. 3 defensive lineman and No. 37 prospect in the nation, according to Rivals. 247Sports doesn't have him much lower on the ladder, ranking him the No. 7 defensive lineman and the No. 79 player overall. That site also lists him as the No. 2 player in Illinois, while Rivals ranks him the No. 1 player in his home state.
In his junior season, Folorunsho recorded 55 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and five sacks for St. Patrick. In trying to unseat Notre Dame, Miami tried selling the way it plays up front and the way it has developed defensive linemen under Mario Cristobal.
In the 2026 NFL Draft, Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor both came off the board in the first round, giving Miami two recent examples of defensive linemen who turned production in Coral Gables into top NFL value.
David Folorunsho brings Notre Dame football major rankings momentum up front
However, when Folorunsho announced the school he wants to attend on the Rivals live stream, it was the relationship he's built with Notre Dame. In fact, the defensive lineman is surrounded by Notre Dame connections, including his current head coach, former Irish tight end Tom Zibikowski, as well as the head of his school and the recruit’s personal trainer, both former Golden Domers.
David Folorunsho‘s commitment to Notre Dame means the school now has six top-100 recruits in its 2027 class. He's also the 7th commitment already this month. Considering the Irish entered Friday as the No. 3 team in the country according to the 247Sports team rankings, it's entirely possible he'll give them another boost up the ratings.
Even better, the Irish have been recruiting Folorunsho as a defensive tackle. Notre Dame hasn’t signed a five-star recruit at the position since Eddie Vanderdoes in the 2013 class, but he didn’t end up enrolling at ND. Since the Rivals Era began in 2002, a five-star defensive tackle hasn’t enrolled at Notre Dame. Friday's commit is the latest, but there's still no guarantee Freeman and Co. are done.
Defensive back Gavin Williams announces his commitment on Sunday, and while Notre Dame is considered to be on the outside looking in, there's always a chance they could make some noise this weekend.
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