Kajus Muralis isn't hiding his feelings on Notre Dame.
The 2028 Illinois offensive lineman already considers the Irish his dream school and, after picking up an offer last month, says they're sitting at the top of his list.
Muralis earned his Notre Dame offer in June and has remained in some contact with offensive line coach Joe Rudolph since then.
The communication has continued, even if it hasn't been extensive.
"Just a couple texts checking up on me and that's it," Muralis told Irish Sports Daily. "Just got a couple texts checking up on me and that's it."
The offer itself, however, meant plenty.
"It's my dream school, so it's a big offer,” Muralis acknowledged. “I don't think it gets any better than Notre Dame."
That feeling has been shaped by more than just the football program.
"They're really good," Muralis said. "The education's really good. They produce a lot of offensive linemen all around."
The 6-foot-7, 255-pounder from Waubonsie Valley High School also holds offers from Akron, Florida Atlantic, Illinois, Oklahoma State, Purdue, UCLA and Wisconsin among others.
Asked whether the Irish were his current leader, Muralis didn't hesitate.
"Yeah, they are," he said plainly.
Still, Muralis wants to see the relationship continue to grow.
"I'm not going to go to a school where they don't want me, so they have to definitely show me more," he said. "I've got to make sure that they actually want me. I'll probably go on visits and then from there I'll see."
Muralis hopes to return to South Bend this fall and wants to spend time learning more about the people inside the program.
"I want to talk with some of the players and see how they feel about Notre Dame and Coach Rudolph as a coach,” he said.
One of the biggest reasons for Notre Dame's early interest is how Rudolph envisions Muralis fitting into the Irish offensive line room.
"They told me I'm sort of like a Joe Alt comparison," Muralis said. "I'm really fast and I'm really athletic and long."
Hearing his name mentioned alongside one of Notre Dame's recent All-Americans and a top-five NFL Draft pick resonated with the Illinois standout.
"It felt pretty good," Muralis said. "It makes sense. That's where I sort of saw my game. That's what I aspire to be, so I felt good."
He's also planning visits to Illinois, Purdue, Northwestern and possibly UCLA before eventually narrowing his options and making a decision.
"It's all on the fly. Obviously Notre Dame is my leader, but I haven't really had a chance to talk with many coaches, so I'll see. It'd probably be during that official visit season, maybe a bit earlier."
Want the latest scoop on Notre Dame Football and Recruiting? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
