2027 DT Sam LeJeune Has Notre Dame At The Top Following Visit
Sam LeJeune made his first trip to Notre Dame this past weekend and the 2027 Mississippi defensive lineman left with a new leader.
“It went well,” LeJeune told Irish Sports Daily afterward. “Great environment, great school.”
The Poplarville High School standout got a comprehensive picture of Notre Dame, including chats with head coach Marcus Freeman and defensive line coach Al Washington.
“We walked into the facility, got to see the weight room, got to see the coach's office, talked to Coach Freeman, Coach Washington,” he explained. “We went to the practice facility, went on a little tour of the campus.
“I don't know what it's called, but the building where they have a huge rock climbing thing inside of it (Duncan Student Center). And then we saw Touchdown Jesus, saw where they light the candles, saw St. Mary's Lake. We saw a good bit of the campus.”
He enjoyed his conversations with Freeman and Washington.
“I was just talking to (Freeman) a little bit about school, football and just the area I lived at,” LeJeune said.
“With Coach Washington, he was showing a presentation on why he thinks Notre Dame would be a great fit. We were just talking about Mississippi and the area for a good bit. It was pretty good. I'm not going to lie.”
He left feeling great about both coaches as people.
“Great people,” he said. “Coach Freeman seems like a family man and Coach Washington is the same. Coach Washington, I talked to him a little bit more, good conversation, pretty easy to talk to. It was great. I can't even describe it. It was great.”
LeJeune’s offer sheet includes the Irish along with schools like Florida State, Mississippi State, Nebraska and Oregon State.
He’s already looking at returning to South Bend.
“I'm trying to get out to a camp in June or whenever they have the camps and hopefully come back on another visit,” he said.
He’s got his eyes on a couple other trips as well.
“I think I'm going to Florida soon and maybe Florida State,” he said. “I've been there a few times though. I don't know if I'm going to go back for a practice, but definitely UF coming up.”
Either way, the Irish set the bar this weekend.
“I've never been on a visit like this,” he said. “It's just special. Probably the best visit I've been on ever. You're kind of with the coaches the whole time, talking to people. It's not like they just leave you to just watch and walk around. They include you and then you take a tour with them and it's great.”
And he acknowledged Notre Dame being his number one school at the moment.
“I'd definitely say the top, honestly.”
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