Damari Simeon

2026 J Serra Catholic (Calif.) defensive lineman Simote Katoanga has committed to USC. This is a big one off the board for the Irish. Katoanga, in my opinion, is the best player in California in 2026 and Notre Dame had a great shot at landing him with his former high school teammate Madden Faraimo already on campus in South Bend. In fact, I believe the four-star was a silent commit to Notre Dame and he was setting up visits this spring and then was planning to return in June for an official visit. He's the name USC needed to land in the 2026 class to send a message not only to Notre Dame, but now the message has been received to the B10 when you combine the flip from former Oregon QB commit Jonas Williams earlier this week.It's a bit of a surprise that Katoanga ended it now, but we'll see what happens down the road. That said, USC is doing exactly what I expected them to do with the new faces in the recruiting office. They are prioritizing LA and the state of California to keep the in-state kids home. I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but USC has a serious issue of keeping California kids in-state the last two classes. In 2025, USC signed 4 of the top 56 prospects (3, 14, 19, 56) and in 2024 they signed 5 in the top 31 (11, 16, 26, 27, 31). That's bad. It's a hit to Notre Dame, but the good news is they are also in a strong position with McHale Blade and Elijah Golden, who are like Katoanga and can play 5-tech and 3-tech. Notre Dame is also very much in it for Tiki Hola and Damari Simeon as kids who can play 3-tech. I'd be willing to bet Notre Dame won't be done in this recruitment despite today's events. Under Armour Navy Notre Dame Fighting Irish Performance Playoff Polo

2026 New Jersey defensive lineman Damari Simeon talks about the Irish, who he included in his recent Top 10, and more.

We dive into 2026 recruiting and take a look at some of Notre Dame top targets on the defensive side of the ball.