Notre Dame landed the nation’s best recruiting class during the 2026 cycle, and now the Irish will look to add yet another elite class in the 2027 cycle. Notre Dame landed a huge offensive class in the 2026 cycle, so the focus in 2027 will be landing impact talent.
Here is a look at the numbers needs and goals for the Notre Dame 2027 recruiting class, beginning with the offense.
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Need: 1
Despite landing two quarterbacks that are part of the 2026 class (Noah Grubbs, Teddy Jarrard), the Irish want to add a talented quarterback in the 2027 class as well. The staff has offered three quarterbacks in the last month, and there’s a chance that board could continue to expand.
Need: 1-2
Notre Dame landed an elite two-man haul in 2026 when it signed Javian Osborne and Jonaz Walton. Two of the three returners have sophomore or freshman eligibility. The running back room is young and absolutely loaded, with none of the backs running out of eligibility until after the 2027 class. Notre Dame doesn’t have a big need in the class, so one is the ideal number and the staff can focus on impact talent. If there is a departure from the current roster I could see the number jumping to two, or if the staff views a second back as being just too talented to pass up. But right now I think the focus is on landing one player that is capable of coming in and competing with the current loaded roster.
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Need: 3
Notre Dame has 13 scholarship receivers on the roster who have sophomore or freshman eligibility, and only one player (Jordan Faison) is out of eligibility after this season. Notre Dame doesn’t have a huge need for numbers at wide receiver unless there is a big exodus from the roster after 2026. Even then, the Irish could sustain losing a few players because of how deep the room already is. I could see a scenario where the majority of the roster comes back and Notre Dame only lands two receivers and I’m happy, assuming it’s two highly talented players, but three is the target number for now. With numbers not being as important to this class, the focus is more on landing impact talent in the class. Either players with the kind of high-level talent to come in right away, or prospects with very high ceilings, even if they might need some time to develop that talent. Florida star Julius Jones Jr. is a top target for the Irish in 2027, but the board is very talented and includes Illinois standout Quentin Burrell among others.
Need: 1-2
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As was the case at running back, Notre Dame landed the best tight end haul in the country in the 2026 class, bringing in Ian Premer and Preston Fryzel. The one difference is that there is more age at tight end. Ty Washington is done after this season and Cooper Flanagan will have just one season of eligibility left when this class arrives. It’s also unlikely that Notre Dame brings back Jack Larsen for a fifth season, unless he makes a big jump this offseason. So even with the talented freshman class and the return of big time redshirt freshman James Flanigan, a case could be made that two tight ends is the need, and that is what Notre Dame will likely target. Landing one top level tight end would be fine, but I expect the staff to push for two.
Need: 3-4
Commits: OT James Halter, IOL Richie Flanigan
Notre Dame has an astounding 20 scholarship offensive linemen on the roster, and 13 of them have have freshman or sophomore eligibility. Notre Dame is still a very young offensive, although keeping everyone moving forward will be tough. Even with a few losses to the portal next year, Notre Dame is still in great position from a numbers standpoint, especially after landing a six man class in 2026 and a four-man class in 2025. All four of the 2025 players took a redshirt this past season. Notre Dame will likely target four offensive linemen in the 2027 class, but landing the right three would be okay if the current roster retention is elite. But ideally this will be a four-man class, with at least two tackles bodies needed in the class. Landing James Halter gives them one talented tackle already in the class, and at least one more is needed. The Irish also landed Richie Flanigan, who was initially projected to be a defensive tackle, but he’ll now play offensive line for the Irish.
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