2026 Notre Dame DL Target Tank Carrington Has Look Of Elite Prospect

St. Frances Academy is loaded with Division-I prospects each year, so in that sense James Carrington‍ is simply one of the next to follow in those footsteps.

But, it’s obvious the 2026 defensive lineman has a chance to be special even among a long line of standouts from the Baltimore power.

“James Carrington is just a manchild,” St. Frances head coach Messay Hailemariam says. “He's a great young man. He's a defensive tackle. Of course, he's athletic and strong. He's a wrestler.

“He's the number one d-tackle in the country in his class, there's a reason why.”

The 6-foot-3, 270-pound freshman already has offers from schools like Alabama, Virginia Tech, Michigan, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, NC State and Wisconsin among others.

Last week, Notre Dame joined that group in offering Carrington, whose nickname is ‘Tank.’

“Tank is a freak,” St. Frances defensive coordinator Justin Winters says. “He's one of one. I haven't seen anybody that big and that strong at his age. He's a top guy. I don't have to say too much, he's going to speak for himself. He should be the top guy in the country in his class.”

Having elite national prospects in the program is nothing new for St. Frances, according to Winters.

“We're used to that over here,” he says. “We call ourselves the Alabama of high school football. We're used to top guys coming through here.

“But, I don't think we've had a guy at his age with that much strength and potential. He is a great kid. He's young, he is attentive, he's wide-eyed, he's learning. He doesn't even know how good he can be.”

Carrington could eventually be a part of a group of St. Frances prospects who make their way to South Bend for an unofficial visit.

Hailemariam only expects Carrington to improve in every aspect of the game from here.

“Ultimately, he's just got to continue to get better, much more explosive, get stronger,” he says. “He's a wrestler, so he's good with his hands and he's got leverage. He understands that part of it, so that's naturally, hopefully, going to transition to the game playing defensive line.

“The quicker he is, the more athletic he is, the better it is for him in terms of his upside.”

Under Armour Navy Notre Dame HOVR Sonic 5 Running Shoes ($119.99)