Elite OL Albert Simien Goes In-Depth On Notre Dame Commitment
Two hours before Albert Simien teased viewers during his live commitment ceremony, the elite 2027 Louisiana offensive lineman put Marcus Freeman through a similar emotional roller coaster.
"I messed with Coach Freeman a little bit when I called him," Simien told Irish Sports Daily. "I was kind of edging the lines of I wasn't going to go. Then at the very end of it, I told him, 'Yeah, I really want to be a part of that and I'm going to commit.' It was like two hours before I committed live.”
Simien treated viewers to a similar prank during his live announcement first donning an LSU hat and then others before choosing Notre Dame in the end as he committed to the Irish over the Tigers, Texas A&M, Nebraska and Ole Miss.
The joke on Freeman was a little bit of payback.
"Coach Freeman had it coming because before my official visit, he tried to mess with me and talk about, 'Oh man, we got another commitment. You aren't going to get a chance to visit,'" Simien said with a laugh.
"He had it coming. I had to get him back."
The exchange provides a peek into the type of relationship the two have built.
"It's been cool just getting to know him," Simien said. "Usually when me and him talk, it's literally nothing about football, just everything about life. During my whole recruitment process, I've been talking to him about anything really; my assignments coming up, my thought process with certain topics. Him being there, just listening, guiding me through my thought processes and kind of reassuring me on certain topics and kind of where I see myself fitting in at certain areas."
That relationship ultimately became one of several reasons Simien felt comfortable making Notre Dame home.
"The holistic fit of religious pursuit, academic pursuit and pursuit of football really did it for me," Simien said.
Simien became the 21st member of Notre Dame's 2027 recruiting class and the fifth offensive lineman, joining Richie Flanigan, James Halter, Jackson Hill and Oluwasemilore Olubobola.
While his final official visit reinforced his decision, Simien acknowledged Notre Dame had quietly taken the lead earlier in the process.
"My spring visit made me sort of lean that way," he explained. "Then going around on all my other official visits got me to kind of see everyone else and really think about it. I'm kind of glad that Notre Dame was my last official visit because it kind of reinforced me into that decision."
That final weekend in South Bend wasn't about learning more about Notre Dame's academics or football program as much as it was confirming he could see himself around the people inside the building every day.
"I got to spend more time with the coaches, see the facilities and be around the players," Simien said following the visit. "It felt more personal this time and gave me a better feel for the program.
"Being around the OL commits was cool. They seem like a great group and I could see myself fitting in."
He also appreciated the opportunity to spend more time with Notre Dame's current commits, particularly fellow offensive lineman Richie Flanigan.
"I've been around Richie a lot," Simien said. "Being around Richie was pretty cool throughout the whole recruiting process because every time we went up there, Richie was there. He was kind of like my guide to where everything was at really. He showed me some pretty cool eating spots too. That was pretty fun."
Now that the recruiting process has finally reached its conclusion, Simien admits the biggest feeling isn't excitement as much as relief.
"To have it finished and technically over with really, it's kind of relieving because now it's like a whole bunch of weight just left my shoulders. Now there's just high school football left."
Want the latest scoop on the Notre Dame Football and Recruiting? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 9' x 9' Side Panel
