2026 OL Jake Namnun Ready To Return To Notre Dame

After hearing from Notre Dame a year ago and working out with Joe Rudolph at camp in South Bend this summer, Jake Namnun‍ is excited to return for this weekend’s home finale against Wake Forest.

Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden dropped by Delran High School last winter to check in on the 2026 New Jersey offensive lineman.

“They definitely wanted me to come out to a camp, so I headed out in the summer,” the 6-foot-2, 270-pounder says. “We talked then and worked out with Coach Rudolph and then we talked again. 

“A couple months ago, they sent an email to my head coach requesting that I make it out to a game. This was really the only date that worked.”

Namnun, who has an early offer from Boston College, is excited about the interest from the Irish.

“I mean, it's Notre Dame,” he says. “It's one of the most prestigious schools, let alone in the country, but in the world. It's amazing, obviously academically and it's one of the most historic football programs ever. It's awesome and anytime there's interest from a program like that, you have to make your best efforts to reciprocate.

“Campus is gorgeous, obviously. The coaches are awesome. I love Coach Rudolph's style of coaching. I'm very much behind that. The facilities were amazing.”

Namnun is looking forward to experiencing a game at Notre Dame.

“It's something that you see on TV, you hear the song, the Here Comes The Irish song, and you see everybody there,” he says. “It looks like a fun time. I'm just excited to get out there and experience it a little bit.”

College coaches like Namnun’s frame and football IQ.

“A lot of what I've heard is my length when it comes to my arms,” he says. “I may not necessarily be the tallest guy of the bunch, but with a 79-inch wingspan, it's something that really plays to my advantage. I play like I'm one of those guys that is 6-4, 6-5, just because of how long my arms are. 

“As an interior guy, my intelligence when it comes to being able to pick things up, read a defensive line and everything around that is something that a lot of coaches also like. It just goes hand in hand with my academics.”

Namnun calls the offer from Boston College “a blessing.”

“It's a culmination of 10 years-plus of all the work you've been putting in since you were a little kid,” he says. “Just to have that happen, it's rewarding, obviously, but it's a stepping stone to hopefully get some more. It's really just an awesome moment of, 'I got there a little bit. Now it's time to keep working more.'”

He’s also visited BC and Duke for games this fall.

Academics will play a crucial role when it comes time for Namnun to choose a school.

“Both of my parents are teachers, so academics is really important,” he says. “A really nice family environment, somewhere that you're going to be a part of a family and a brotherhood there that you know you're going to have long past football. That's something that's really important to me as well. 

“Just getting to somewhere where there's a great fan environment. Anytime there's a good fan environment, I feel like any athlete you talk to, they'll just kick it into an extra gear because you get that sudden adrenaline and I'd love to do that one day.”

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