Over the weekend, despite the Fighting Irish laying claim to yet another top-10 recruiting class and being one of the more dominant programs since the turn of the century, Notre Dame and head coach Marcus Freeman were bested on the recruiting trail.
Seneca Driver, a four-star tight end in the class of 2027, committed to the Oklahoma Sooners instead of Notre Dame, despite his uncle, Tony Driver, playing for the Irish just a couple of decades ago.
This one stung a lot, especially since Driver was scheduled to make a trip to South Bend in just a couple of weeks, and the Sooners honestly weren't receiving that much attention from recruiting experts.
Seneca Driver snubs Notre Dame for SEC team
Driver's addition to Oklahoma's recruiting class boosted the Sooners to the No. 1 group in the nation, and now the Irish stand at sixth in the national rankings, even though Freeman has a slew of blue-chip prospects coming to South Bend.
So far, Freeman has landed seven commitments from the class of 2027, headlined by four-star cornerback Xavier Hasan and four-star interior offensive lineman James Halter.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish class of 2027
- Xavier Hasan, four-star cornerback
- James Halter, four-star interior offensive lineman
- Ace Alston, four-star cornerback
- Khalil Terry, four-star safety
- Amarri Irvin, four-star linebacker
- Richie Flanigan, four-star defensive lineman
- Sean Kraft, three-star long snapper
Yes, it hurt to miss out on Driver, especially with his familial ties to the program, but not all hope is lost for Notre Dame's upcoming class.
BREAKING: Elite 2027 TE Seneca Driver has Committed to Oklahoma, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 8, 2026
The 6’6 245 TE from Danville, KY chose the Sooners over Kentucky and Notre Dame
He’s ranked as the No. 1 TE in the 2027 Rivals300https://t.co/PeZsOkYNwX pic.twitter.com/FNgLzy4G2p
Freeman has added an onslaught of stars to his defensive depth chart, especially in the secondary, with two four-star cornerbacks and one four-star safety already committed to Notre Dame.
Also read: 4-star QB has his 'dream come true' with new offer from Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman
Halter is the only offensive addition to the Irish's class of 2027 so far, and Sean Kraft, a three-star long snapper, is the only addition to the special teams group.