Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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PREP PROFILES BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 16, 2024 43 Since last spring, few high school football prospects have seen their col- lege football recruitment blossom, like Damari Simeon, who On3 debuted as the No. 3 defensive lineman and No. 46 overall player in the updated 2026 class rankings Oct. 21. The four-star recruit from Richland (N.J.) St. Augustine Prep has become rich in scholarship offers, reeling in 25 offers over the last five months. Among them is Notre Dame, which has emerged as an early contender for the 6-foot-2, 275-pounder's pledge. On Oct. 11, Simeon, On3's top junior prospect in New Jersey, made the about 715-mile trek to South Bend to see the Fighting Irish take on Stanford. While trips like that one are challenging dur- ing football season, his willingness to make it should have come as little sur- prise to the coaching staff. Despite already having 10 offers in July, Simeon traveled to Notre Dame for its end-of-summer recruiting event without holding an offer from coach Marcus Freeman's program. He left the "Grill & Chill" July 25 with one, and the Irish near the top of his list. After a second trip to South Bend in October, one of the fastest-rising re- cruits from the Northeast still holds the Irish in high standing. "They're up there on my board," Simeon told Blue & Gold Illustrated . "Academics are big for me. I want to go to a place with great academics and football. Notre Dame fits that perfectly." Although he went out of his way to visit the Irish, Simeon said he can't make many other visits this football season because it gets too busy for his family. Despite other schools clamoring to get him on their campus, he has only scheduled a visit to Penn State Nov. 9 when it hosts Washington. State Col- lege, Pa, is about a four-hour drive from his high school. With the number of teams involved, the battle for his verbal is only begin- ning. Still, the Irish have done enough to become an early favorite. "They're very high up on my board," he said. "I love the staff's energy, especially [defensive line] Coach [Al] Washington." — Kyle Kelly Before he played a snap and fully understood the game, Chicago Wen- dell Phillips Academy student Claude Mpouma unofficially visited Notre Dame for its spring game six months ago. The 6-foot-8, 260-pounder Mpouma ar- rived at South Bend looking like a power conference football recruit. But that's all he was: a potential football recruit. However, Phillips coach Ivan Simmons knew he had a budding international of- fensive tackle who could become a na- tional prospect in the 2026 cycle. As it turns out, Simmons was right about the Cameroon import, who arrived in Amer- ica before his freshman year. When On3 updated its 2026 class player rankings Oct. 21, Mpouma was one of the biggest risers, debuting as the No. 1 prospect in Illinois, and the No. 5 offensive tackle and No. 31 overall player in the country. Nine games into the Central Africa product's junior season, Mpouma re- ported offers from 11 schools, including Wisconsin, Miami, Florida State, Au- burn, Nebraska, Minnesota, Michigan State, Illinois and Boston College. It's been quite the rise to stardom since Simmons discovered Mpouma running around during one of his school's open gym sessions. "Coach Simmons came up to me and said, 'I'm trying to get you on the field, and I think you're going to be a great athlete,'" Mpouma told Blue & Gold Il- lustrated. "I've been trying to play foot- ball but never had the chance. I said I will show up for one practice. After that, I just started coming out." With American football still feel- ing foreign to Mpouma, you can only imagine what it's like for him to process a college visit. His trip to South Bend conveniently served as an introduction to college football recruiting. Although the Irish have not yet offered Mpouma, he remains on its radar. He is also getting scouted by Alabama. He men- tioned the Crimson Tide, Miami, Georgia and Minnesota as exciting schools. B u t m o re t h a n a n y t h i n g e l s e , Mpouma is grateful to have the chance to partake in the college football re- cruiting process. "It's a blessing," he said. "To be in this position as a college football recruit is a blessing. God wants me to be great." — Kyle Kelly Irish Are An Early Favorite For New Jersey Defensive End Chicago Product Is A Name To Know For Notre Dame DAMARI SIMEON ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ St. Augustine Prep Richland, N.J. Status: Offered Class: 2026 Position: Defensive line Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 275 On3 Rankings: No. 1 player in New Jersey, and No. 3 defensive lineman and No. 46 overall player nationally CLAUDE MPOUMA ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Wendell Phillips Academy Chicago Status: Interested Class: 2026 Position: Offensive tackle Ht.: 6-8 • Wt.: 260 On3 Rankings: No. 1 player in Illinois, and No. 5 offensive tackle and No. 31 overall player nationally "I want to go to a place with great academics and football. Notre Dame fits that perfectly." SIMEON "To be in that position as a college football recruit and a one- year player, I feel like it's a blessing. God wants me to be great." MPOUMA