Notre Dame loses elite four-star DE to Lincoln Riley in only rival win USC will see

Even in the midst of spring practices and the Spring Game approaching, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has been doing his work on the recruiting trail for the Class of 2027. Notre Dame has appeared in the top choices for a lot of elite recruits, and those decisions could be coming very soon for the Irish.

Unfortunately, Notre Dame did suffer a loss in the recruiting game, and it came at the hands of a bitter rival. Four-star EDGE rusher Mekai Brown announced earlier this week that they would make his commitment live on the Rivals YouTube Channel on Friday, April 17.

Well, Brown sat down at the table with five school hats in front of him: Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and USC. As his commitment date got closer and closer, it felt like the race came down to USC and Notre Dame, and USC ended up winning out in the end for Brown's commitment.

Mekai Brown's USC decision hurts Notre Dame on the recruiting trail but this cycle isn't over yet

Right before Brown announced his commitment date, he was on a visit to South Bend, where he spent the weekend with Notre Dame, and it seemed like the trip went well. That is why it felt like a two-program race at the end between Notre Dame and USC, but the Trojans just edged out the Irish in the end.

Brown spoke about his excitment is how USC plans to use him on the field, plus there is a family connection with his grandfather living in Los Angeles. Brown could have been a great addition to Notre Dame's 2027 recruiting class, but the cycle isn't over yet.

There is still time for head coach Marcus Freeman to make a move on Brown and try to flip his commitment. Normally, USC and Notre Dame would face off during the season, and the Irish would have seen Brown in the future, but with the series in question based on USC's complaints, that may not be the case anymore.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow