Notre Dame has a chance to catch some big 2027 recruiting momentum on Friday. That includes with a top-100 pass rusher.
Notre Dame football has been riding some strong recruiting momentum recently. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish are expecting a lot of good news on Friday. There are two key targets set to make a college decision.
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That includes 2027 Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep defensive end Aidan O’Neil, who will be selecting between Notre Dame, Penn State, and Kentucky. The talented pass rusher has been in high demand by teams across college football. The Irish staff is working hard to attempt to close the deal heading into Friday.
As things currently stand, Notre Dame is considered to be the leader and team to beat for O’Neil. Defensive line coach Charlie Partridge is working hard to get his first 2027 defensive end commitment. O’Neil would be a great start.
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Notre Dame is also hoping for some good news from 2027 Vero Beach (Fla.) High School quarterback Champ Monds on Friday as well, who is selecting between the Fighting Irish, Ohio State, and Florida State. If the Irish staff is able to close on both O’Neil and Monds, it promises to be a great day. They have a very good chance to do just that.
Aidan O’Neil’s recruiting background
After beginning the process as an underrated recruit, O’Neil has now seen his rankings continue to trend upward, now considered to be a four-star player by each of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, the New Jersey native rates as a four-star, the No. 140 overall player, the No. 15 EDGE, and the No. 3 player from the state of New Jersey for the 2027 recruiting class. 247 Sports is the highest on O’Neil right now, pegged as the No. 73 overall player and the No. 9 EDGE in the country.
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The 6-5, 240-pound pass rusher has a long and impressive offer list currently. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Nebraska, Florida State, Indiana, South Carolina, Kentucky, Illinois, NC State, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Washington, Pitt, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Minnesota, Syracuse, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Rutgers, Duke, and Northwestern, among several others.
As a junior in 2025, O’Neil put together a tremendous season for Don Bosco. In 12 games played, O’Neil managed to collect 54 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. The talented defender also forced two fumbles for one of the best programs in high school football.
