Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2025 65 2025 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY KYLE KELLY D ominik Hulak has progressed since June 15, 2023, when he was told to follow former Fighting Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden. On that day at the Irish Athletics Cen- ter on Notre Dame's campus, Hulak — a rising junior at Elmhurst (Ill.) Immacu- late Conception — was among about 100 participants at one of Notre Dame's evaluation camps. The now 6-foot-4, 240-pounder was also one of a few to hold a scholarship offer from the Irish already. Golden had offered Hulak as a poten- tial linebacker prospect on March 17, 2023, during the program's St. Patrick's Day-themed Pot of Gold Day recruit- ing event. Hulak was 15 pounds lighter and showed signs of being an impactful linebacker as a high school sophomore. However, Golden only took about three months to showcase his other plans. During the program's evalua- tion camp, Golden had Hulak compete on the defensive line. Hulak had played some D-line in middle school, but he was not prepared to switch positions. At a Notre Dame camp, nonetheless. "When he threw me there, I was like, 'This is going to be interesting," Hulak told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "I didn't expect to do anything crazy, and I didn't. It was something new." There began Hulak's positional tran- sition to an edge rusher. Nineteen months later, On3 finalized his prospect ranking as the No. 9 recruit in Illinois, and the No. 31 edge and No. 280 overall player nationally in the 2025 recruiting cycle. Hulak is the only edge rusher in Notre Dame's class. He switched full-time to the defensive line as a high school senior. In nine games, he accounted for 32 tackles, 9 stops for loss and 10 sacks. He also turned in a highlight performance at Notre Dame's Irish Invasion in June 2024. Hulak posted a 4.65-second 40-yard dash, an impressive time for a rising high school senior. In doing so, he dis- covered that speed and agility are his strengths. "It took me a while to figure that out," he said. After a season on the defensive line, he also discovered he had the strength to control offensive tackles. Yet, when he starts to face them in preseason camp this summer, Hulak also knows it will require more muscle to handle them the same way in college. Hulak has altered his nutrition and dedicated himself to Notre Dame's strength program. In turn, he believes he'll be ready to compete when he's back on the practice field — this time as a member of the Fighting Irish. "It's a grind," he said. "It's definitely not going to be easy. But there's an end result to it. And that's the reason every- one becomes great." ✦ Hulak started his high school career as a linebacker before switching to the defensive line. On3 rates him as the No. 31 edge and No. 280 overall player in the country. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 Dominik Hulak's Positional Switch Should Benefit Notre Dame DOMINIK HULAK DEFENSIVE LINEMAN 6-4 ∙ 240 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION H.S. GLENDALE HEIGHTS, ILL. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 372 39 9 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 280 31 9 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 40 8 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 33 20 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 19 9 STATISTICS • Notched 32 tackles, 9 stops for loss, 10 sacks and 1 forced fumble in nine games in 2024. Also contributed 13 catches for 211 yards and 2 touch- downs, and 8 carries for 68 yards. • Compiled 36 solo tackles, 6 stops for loss, 3 sacks, 3 quarterback hurries, 5 passes broken up and 1 blocked punt in 10 games his junior season. NOTABLE • Participated in the U.S. Army Bowl in 2024. • DuPage County Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. • Suburban Life All-Area and Red Grange All- County in 2024. RECRUITMENT • Committed to the Fighting Irish on Nov. 10, 2023. • Chose the Irish over Iowa and Wisconsin. • Recruited by defensive line coach Al Wash- ington. • Visited Notre Dame 13 times, including his of- ficial visit on June 7, 2024. 2025 PROJECTION • Could carve out a special teams role on kickoff coverage. THEY SAID IT On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "Hulak is a versatile athlete who makes a lot of plays for his high school team. He lines up all over the field. You see him at tight end, split out as a receiver, rushing off the edge and also playing off-ball linebacker on Friday nights. "What sticks out the most to me is his ability to affect the game in various ways. He can do so many things, which is impressive. It points to the upside when he focuses on one spot and gains more position-specific skills in college. "There's a lot of positional versatility with him as a defensive prospect, and you have to love the playmaking ability, athleticism and toughness on offense. He can play tight end at the next level, too. He embraces contact and makes plays with the ball in his hands." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "He's very quick off the ball and is a hard hitter who shows great agility, body control and burst. Has the quick-twitch athletic ability to make plays in space. Hulak possesses the size, the speed and the athletic ability to dominate at the next level. He's one of the top players in the Midwest."