For Cameron Wagner, this weekend at Notre Dame was as much about the locker room as anything.
The 2027 Illinois prospect returned to campus for Junior Day as one of the Irish’s top offensive line targets.
“It was great,” Wagner told Irish Sports Daily. “I got to spend a lot of time with the players there and then also the two commits in the ‘27 class. That was awesome.”
The 6-foot-6, 280-pounder has been to Notre Dame multiple times and already has a strong feel for the program, but this trip allowed him to further evaluate the people inside the building.
That focus showed up in how he spent his time, particularly with current and future players.
“They're all good dudes,” he said. “I fit in really well with them. I just feel like we're the same type of guys. We're big dudes that love football and just love to hang out together and have a good time.”
Wagner spent time with 2027 offensive line commits James Halter and Richie Flanigan as well as 2026 quarterback signee Teddy Jarrard, continuing to build relationships with future Irish players.
The St. Joseph-Ogden High School standout also sat in on offensive line meetings and spent time with head coach Marcus Freeman and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph during the visit.
“I had personal meetings with Coach Freeman and Coach Rudolph,” he said. “So it was awesome just talking about my game and stuff like that. What can I improve on? Things like that.”
Rudolph’s coaching style stood out as Wagner continued to evaluate his fit within the program.
“I feel like he's a great coach,” Wagner said. “He'll love on you hard, but then also coach you hard. If you're doing something wrong, he's going to get on you, but if you're doing it right, he'll love you just as hard.”
Freeman reinforced how Wagner fits within the program.
“He was just talking about how I'm such a good fit here and stuff like that,” he said. “He sees how my personal aspects will fit in very well there.”
The St. Joseph, Ill., native holds offers from Notre Dame, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Wisconsin among others.
He has already visited Auburn this spring and is scheduled to visit LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, Wisconsin and Illinois as he works through his unofficial visit slate.
The next step in his recruitment will be narrowing his list and setting official visits.
Wagner expects to take four or five official visits, with Notre Dame firmly in the mix to receive one of those spots.
“I like it a lot. I really like those guys in the room. It's a really tight brotherhood and I enjoy my time there a lot.”
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