Notre Dame continued to strengthen its position with one of the Midwest’s top offensive line prospects in the 2027 cycle last Friday.
Cameron Wagner hosted Irish head coach Marcus Freeman and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph for an in-home visit, a stop that further cemented a relationship that has been building for some time.
The 2027 Illinois offensive lineman holds a strong offer list that includes Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Nebraska and Illinois, among others.
Wagner enjoyed the visit and conversation, which covered both football and personal connection, with an emphasis on fit.
“It was good,” Wagner said. “It was a lot of fun. He talked a lot about just Notre Dame Football and how I can fit into it. And also he just got to know my family really well.”
The 6-foot-6, 280-pounder places significant importance on staff members taking time to know his family and views that as a meaningful part of the evaluation process.
“Really important,” Wagner said. “Just so he can bond with me and just get to know me better, honestly, know how my family acts around me and what they think of me and stuff like that.”
The St. Joseph-Ogden High School standout believes Notre Dame’s message has remained consistent and aligns with what matters most to him.
“It’s just how my values and my family and stuff like that,” Wagner said. “They think I’d be a great player there.”
The Saint Joseph, Ill., native sees that alignment clearly and believes his long-term goals match what Notre Dame offers.
“For sure,” he said. “I just want to be the best offensive lineman as possible. And then also just align steam. I fit in really well with them and then also just I want to be able to play at the highest level.”
Looking ahead, Wagner expects to return to campus during the spring to continue building relationships within the program.
“I’ll probably take a visit there during spring ball,” he said. “Then maybe eventually set up an official visit. I want to get to know their commits better. I want to get to know all the ‘26 guys that are there now and then maybe some of the ‘27 commits as well.”
At one point, Wagner felt he might be able to come to a final decision shortly after the offseason coaching carousel stopped, but those changes have expanded his recruitment rather than narrowed it, with new schools grabbing his attention thanks to adding coaches he had previously relationships with.
That makes this spring an important checkpoint.
“It’s crazy, honestly,” he said. “But I’ll probably announce a top five or six probably like after spring ball.”
A final decision is expected later in the process.
“Probably sometime in the summer after official visits.”
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