It’s been repeated several times. This is the best recruiting class Notre Dame has signed in the internet era.
I’m going to hit on that one last time with the release of the final 2026 ISD Fab 50. I have five Notre Dame players in my top-50, which is the most since I’ve put together the Fab 50 starting in 2018.
It’s edge Rodney Dunham (8), tight end Ian Premer (15), safety/corner Ayden Pouncey (29), safety Joey O'Brien (30), and cornerback Khary Adams (44). All five of them have the potential to be elite players for the Irish.
I think Dunham is the best prospect the Irish have signed since Jaylon Smith in 2013. Premer is the best tight end they’ve signed since Kyle Rudolph. Pouncey and O’Brien are two that I would have below Kyle Hamilton as a prospect, but not by much. They weren’t as highly rated, but Adams certainly has the kind of traits to develop into a Ben Morrison or Leonard Moore type of impact player at corner.
The Final 2026 ISD Fab 50
The class has outstanding depth of talent, but it’s the top end group that separates this from other classes Marcus Freeman has signed.
- My top-three players are going to Utah, Houston, and Maryland. Maybe some will take it as a sign that NIL is working when it comes to creating parity in college football. That’s one way to look at it.
The other is that the same power programs dominated this list. Alabama and Texas lead the list with six players each. Notre Dame is behind them with five. USC, LSU, Ohio State, and Oregon have four players each. The other teams who signed two are Miami, Tennessee, Michigan, and Texas A&M.
- The most surprising team to not be mentioned there is Georgia. They only have one on the list (Ekene Ogboko). I still like plenty of players from Georgia’s class. ATH Tyriq Green (62) and WR Craig Dandridge (53) are two of my five favorite prospects who just missed out on the Fab 50.
The other three are BYU OT Bott Mulitalo (71), Oklahoma Edge Jake Kreul (74), and Tennessee LB TJ White (55).
- Here’s some outliers from my top-50 compared to everyone else.
I have OT Kelvin Obot (Utah) as my number one player. Rivals has him fifth, he’s ranked 41st by 247Sports, and 42nd by ESPN.
I agree with Rivals in my placement of WR Corey Barber (LSU). They have him 26th. I have him 31st. 247 has him 61st and ESPN has him 136th.
It’s the same with WR Somourian Wingo (Miami). I have him 33rd and Rivals has him 37th. 247 has him 56th and ESPN has him 161st.
I have Pouncey 29th. Rivals has him 34th, 247 69th, and ESPN 181st.
I have ATH Jermaine Bishop (Texas) 27th. 247 has him 13th. Rivals has him 139th and ESPN has him 24th.
I have DL Jamarion Carlton (Texas) 24th. RIvals has him 48th, 247 91st, ESPN and 103rd.
Edge Jamarion Matthews (Alabama) is not a top-50 player for anyone other than me. His highest ranking is 66th. I have him 23rd.
I have DL Bryce Perry-Wright (Texas A&M) 35th. His highest ranking is 62nd.
I have Edge Trenton Henderson (LSU) 34th. His highest ranking is 66th.
I have Edge Kosi Okpala (Texas) 50th. He’s 116th in the composite rankings.
OT Jared Doughty (Alabama) is not in the top-300 for 247 or ESPN. I have him 49th. Rivals has him 60th.
We’ll see how that looks for me four years from now.
Men's Fanatics Khaki/Black Notre Dame Fighting Irish Balance Fitted Hat
