Notre Dame football looking to supercharge Canadian Connection with 3 more visits

Over the last few years, Notre Dame football has left no stone unturned regarding recruiting. When you play in a state like Indiana, there are a couple of very good recruits a year in-state that stand out. But quite a bit of the recruiting focus has to be elsewhere in the country and even elsewhere in the world, including our neighbors to the north in Canada.

Among the most famous Canadian recruits who worked out quite well for Notre Dame, Chase Claypool was the first to arrive in South Bend since 1994. But that was back in 2017. However, the trickle of Canadians-turned-Notre Dame football players is speeding up a bit. Devan Houstan, Armel Mukam, and Sean Sevillano Jr. are all from the Great White North and play on the Irish's defensive line. Marcus Freeman and company also just got Will Black, who is originally from Ontario, Canada.

Notre Dame has now got three more Canadians in its crosshairs. Three more who are expected to make visits later this summer. And the Irish are hoping the Canadian Connection will grow quite quickly.

Notre Dame football looking to supercharge Canadian Connection with 3 more visits

Interestingly enough, all three Canadians that are expected to attend the Irish Invasion are on the defensive line. That makes the pipeline up north that much more interesting.

Linkin Zylstra

Zylstra has already moved down from Canada to Oakdale, Connecticut, making him have South Bend be his home in the next few years that much easier. Zylstra actually visited town earlier this spring, but the 2026 defensive lineman who already has offers from UCONN, UMASS and Temple will check out Notre Dame again soon.

Carson Thomas

Carson Thomas is a relative unknown in the college football world as he's still up in Canada these days. However, there's a very real chance he'll move down the United States and would also be a member of the 2026 class should that happen.

He's going to be taking a bit of a whirlwind tour of the US in early June, including the Irish Invasion camp on June 2. Thomas is very raw, having just started playing football, but he's got a frame that is impressive and has played on both sides of the ball. He's been a tight end and a defensive end and has some analysts drooling at what he could do with the right coaching.

Destiny Okedara

Destiny Okedara's story is a bit different because he's a member of the 2025 class. He's another one who is viewed as quite raw but with a build and a wingspan for a defensive lineman and defensive tackle that is quite impressive.

He stands 6-foot-4, and weights 240 pounds and the former basketball player is a physical specimen. It's said he's got about a 7'1", 7'2" wingspan. On June 2, the Notre Dame football coaches will get a look at him as well.

The question is whether any or all three will get official scholarship offers once they come through South Bend.