The Notre Dame football team's relationship with Julian Bruno is in the early stages.
However, after the Fighting Irish gave Bruno an offer, it's clear that the two sides are really hitting it off. "My reaction was excitement," Bruno told Irish Sports Daily not long after receiving the offer. "I was extremely happy and the first thing I did was go to my dad's room and tell him the news."
The offer to the latest Notre Dame target came from new linebacker coach Brian Jean-Mary after a long conversation with the position coach. Bruno says the potential future coach of the California 2028 prospect liked the film they've seen of the rising star and want to get him to South Bend so he can see the campus soon.
Bruno added that he hasn't met the entire staff yet, which would be a good reason to take in what Notre Dame has to offer. "I haven't met the entire staff yet, but Coach BJ, Tre Reader and Tim Brown Jr. have made me feel welcome since June 15 when they could start contacting me," Bruno said. "They've been checking in with me regularly, which has meant a lot to me."
After a great conversation I’m blessed to announce my 22nd D1 offer. Thank you @NDFootball and @luc_brian for this opportunity. 🍀#TheMarathonContinues 🏁 #llgpa 🕊️@grant_union @CReedGHS @streetsavvyGMG @BrandonHuffman @adamgorney @GregBiggins @IAmTDowns @Wverrett3 pic.twitter.com/1rdlZ7nDWw
— Julian “juju” Bruno (@Julian_bruno20) July 3, 2026
Julian Bruno says Notre Dame football offer left him excited
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound three-star linebacker from Grant Union High School (Sacramento, CA), is ranked as the No. 558 player in the 2028 class, the No. 43 player at the linebacker position and the No. 57 player in the state of California according to Rivals Industry Rankings.
While it's till early in his recruitment it's clear he's become a sought after player. In addition to Notre Dame Bruno has offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, California, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Sacramento State, San Diego State, San Jose State, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, UCLA, UNLV, USC, UTSA, Washington and Washington State among others.
The next step for both the Fighting Irish and the linebacker will be seeing the program in person to learn more. The Sacramento prospect hopes to make it to South Bend for a game this fall while continuing to get to know the coaches better.
"The next step is to keep building my relationship with the coaching staff and make it out to a game this fall," Bruno said.
He added that he knows exactly what he wants to do if and when he takes that trip.
"One thing I'd like to learn more about is how they plan to use me in their defensive system and how they see me contributing to the defense," Bruno said.
Notre Dame will definitely stand out from the crowd when he does that, considering how successful linebackers have been in the Irish defense during the Marcus Freeman era.
Add us as a preferred source on Google