If the Notre Dame football team pulls off the massive recruiting steal it’s now expected to do on Friday, it will already be time to build the statue of Marcus Freeman.
5-star offensive lineman Albert Simien announced earlier this week that he would commit on Friday, June 26. For quite a while now, the team expected to gain that commitment was Texas A&M. The Irish were included in the final five teams he’s considering, but it looked like that was mostly just a head nod to a school that recently hosted him for a visit.
On Wednesday morning, things apparently changed dramatically. Not one, not two, but three different Rivals analysts all put in new predictions for Notre Dame to land Albert Simien when he pulls the trigger Friday afternoon. Most interesting and most exciting was the speed with which the predictions came in.
Sam Spiegelman was the first to enter his prediction at 10am local time. Mike Singer followed just four minutes later with his own prediction, and Steve Wiltfong logged his “crystal ball” less than half an hour after that. Three predictions are one thing. That they all came in such a close time frame certainly means that this is more than just a gut hunch. It’s not official yet, obviously, but it's a massive sign that something is quite solid.
Albert Simien predictions show Notre Dame football surge over Texas A&M
Charles Power laid out in his scouting report why Simien switching from Texas A&M to Notre Dame is such a big deal:
“Dominant interior offensive line prospect whose combination of length, functional mobility, and balance makes him one of the top linemen in the 2027 cycle. Measured just under 6-foot-3 and around 270 pounds prior to his junior season, with plus length, including 34-inch arms. Lines up at left tackle for his high school, where he consistently controls the line of scrimmage. Dominant run blocker who manipulates defenders with his length, strength, and coordination. Moves easily to the second level and maintains leverage to seal running lanes. Has outstanding lower-body flexibility as a mover. Equally effective in pass protection with controlled feet and strong balance in his set.”
That scouting report is why the Lake Charles, Louisiana, product is considered the No. 2 offensive lineman and No. 19 player overall in the Rivals Industry Rankings. Scouts rate his closest comp as former Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (1st-round pick in the 2025 draft). Simien has also been called “one of the safest offensive line prospects in the 2027 cycle.”
It’s not just that landing Albert Simien would keep a heater that’s already scored three commits this week going in a big way. It’s not just that it would mean stealing a massive recruit from Mike Elko and Texas A&M (though that would be fun); it’s that this is the kind of turnaround that shows just how good Marcus Freeman and his program’s approach to recruiting has been. Notre Dame is still often thought of as a school that can’t compete with the “big boys” in recruiting. Swooping in and scoring a 5-star offensive lineman out from under a big SEC school would be a concrete sign of a new era in South Bend.
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