Julian Bruno's relationship with Notre Dame is still in its early stages.
That didn't stop the Irish from offering the 2028 California linebacker a scholarship Friday, giving Bruno another national program to seriously consider as his recruitment continues to expand.
"My reaction was excitement," Bruno told Irish Sports Daily. "I was extremely happy and the first thing I did was go to my dad's room and tell him the news."
The offer came during a phone call with Notre Dame linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary.
"Coach BJ expressed how much they liked my film and that they want to get me on campus so I can really get a feel for life at Notre Dame," Bruno said.
Notre Dame joins a growing list of schools that have already offered the 6-foot-1, 220-pounder, including USC, UCLA, Washington, Stanford, Cal, Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Syracuse and SMU among others.
Although the relationship is still developing, Bruno already feels welcomed by the people recruiting him.
"I haven't met the entire staff yet, but Coach BJ, Tre Reader and Tim Brown Jr. have made me feel welcome since June 15 when they could start contacting me," Bruno said. "They've been checking in with me regularly, which has meant a lot to me."
The Grant Union High School standout has also been impressed by Notre Dame's reputation from afar.
"I know Notre Dame is one of the top programs in college football, both historically and today," Bruno said. "They also have a great track record of developing players and sending them to the NFL."
The next step will be seeing the program in person to learn more. The Sacramento hopes to make it to South Bend for a game this fall while continuing to get to know the coaches better.
"The next step is to keep building my relationship with the coaching staff and make it out to a game this fall," Bruno said.
When he does make the trip, one topic will be at the top of his list.
"One thing I'd like to learn more about is how they plan to use me in their defensive system and how they see me contributing to the defense," Bruno said.
Notre Dame is one of several schools Bruno plans to visit this fall along with USC, UCLA, Washington, Cal, Stanford, Oregon and SMU.
Although his recruitment is still in its early stages, Bruno already knows the factors that will ultimately shape his decision.
"The biggest factors in my college decision will be the coaching staff, the relationships I build with them and how they think I fit within the team's defensive system."
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