Notre Dame Surges With 2027 OL Layton von Brandt After Visit
Notre Dame didn’t get a commitment out of Layton Von Brandt during this past weekend’s visit, but the Irish certainly got momentum.
The 2027 Delaware offensive lineman left South Bend with a clearer picture of where Notre Dame stands in his recruitment.
“It was awesome,” von Brandt said. “It was a great time. I really enjoyed it.”
The 6-foot-6, 270-pounder from Middletown, Del., spent extended time around the program, getting a closer look at how the staff operates on a daily basis.
“Just hanging out more with the coaches, seeing how they coach, seeing how the culture is, how everybody operates in the building,” von Brandt said of what stood out.
That included time inside the offensive line room as well as reconnecting with some familiar faces, Ja’Juan Seider, Kenny Sanders and DJ Bryant, who were all on staff at Penn State, the school von Brandt was once committed.
Conversations with offensive line coach Joe Rudolph stood out as well.
“It was about how he sees me fitting and how he’s going to develop me to take me where I want to go,” von Brandt said. “How he’s going to coach me hard.”
One message resonated especially.
“He said, ‘I’m going to coach you like you were my son,’” von Brandt recalled. “That stood out to me and my parents.”
His interaction with head coach Marcus Freeman carried similar weight.
“It almost looks like he’s media trained all the time when he talks, but that’s just him,” von Brandt said. “He’s just real. He’s just a great guy.
“Him saying that there's not going to be any other head coach in the country that's going to pour more into Layton than him. Hearing those words definitely just tells you what type of coach he is and the type of relationship we have.”
That combination of development and relationship-building has helped push Notre Dame toward the top of his recruitment.
“I would say they’re in my top four,” said von Brandt. “It’s really close with them and other schools, but I would say they have the most momentum right now.”
Von Brandt, who has made recent trips to Florida and Tennessee and is set to return to Penn State this weekend, is already planning a return to South Bend.
“I can’t wait to get back,” he said.
Von Brandt hasn’t locked any officials in yet, but plans to take three or four in June and said he’ll definitely be back at Notre Dame.
He plans on making a decision sometime in July, but stressed that he doesn’t want to set an exact date just yet.
“I’m hoping July 1st is when I’m done,” he said. “But I just want to take my time and make sure I make the right decision.”
For now, the Irish are trending in the right direction.
“They have the most momentum right now.”
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