Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541906
28 JANUARY 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2 0 2 6 E A R L Y S I G N I N G D A Y BY TYLER JAMES N o Notre Dame recruiting class in the modern internet recruit era has received as much praise as the 27-man class which signed with the Fighting Irish Dec. 3. Notre Dame's class ended the early signing period ranked No. 2 in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings, a new high for the system that's been applied as far back as 2004. The Irish finished with the fourth-best class on three separate occasions (2006, 2008 and 2013) before the 2026 class. The historic Notre Dame class con- sists of two players deemed five-star recruits by Rivals analysts, four play- ers deemed five-star recruits by the Rivals Industry Rankings and seven players ranked in the Rivals 100. The Irish put together elite hauls at defen- sive back, defensive end, running back and tight end. Below is our rankings of each Notre Dame class of 2026 signee. All rank- ings, unless otherwise noted, are from Rivals. 1. JOEY O'BRIEN S • 6-4, 190 Lafayette Hill, Pa. • La Salle College High O'Brien — the No. 3 prospect in Pennsylvania, and the No. 1 safety and No. 25 overall player nationally — stands out in a crowd of elite football players, His height and freakish athleticism make him a jaw-dropping prospect at safety. Too many Notre Dame safety recruits have been and will continue to be com- pared to former All-America safety Kyle Hamilton, but O'Brien fits the mold. He can cover so much ground in the sec- ondary, and his potential at the posi- tion is obvious. He's even an elite wide receiver at the high school level. It's hard to imagine O'Brien not excelling at Notre Dame. 2. RODNEY DUNHAM DE • 6-4, 225 Charlotte, N.C. • Myers Park When head coach Mar- cus Freeman was asked about the elite prospects Notre Dame added in the 2026 class, Dunham — a five-star talent, the No. 1 recruit in North Carolina, and the No. 3 edge and No. 10 overall prospect in the country — was the first name he mentioned. That's because Freeman was able to see Dunham play in his senior season after he returned from a knee injury. He has the traits you want to see in an elite pass rusher. He bends around the corner after a quick first step and has the size and strength to counter offen- sive tackles. Notre Dame nabbed a big recruiting win when it received Dun- ham's commitment. 3. KHARY ADAMS CB • 6-1, 185 Baltimore • Loyola Blakefield Adams — the No. 2 player in Mary- land, and the No. 2 cornerback and No. 23 overall prospect in America — has the makings of the next lockdown cornerback in Notre Dame's defense. He's a natural in coverage with his size, length and speed. He usually wins when he's in the vicinity of a ball thrown his way. He can run down the sideline with fast receivers and hold up against bigger re- ceivers with his physicality. Adams has the ball skills — which he's shown at wide receiver — to make game-breaking plays at the cornerback position. 4. GRAYSON MCKEOGH OL • 6-8, 300 Perkasie, Pa. • La Salle College High McKeogh — a five-star recruit, the No. 1 pros- pect in Pennsylvania, and the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 9 overall player in the nation — earned the praise he received as the top offensive lineman in Notre Dame's class. He be- longs in the conversation of the top of- fensive linemen in the entire country for the 2026 class. It's easy to fall in love with an offensive tackle prospect who has only been play- ing the position for a couple seasons after making big weight gains in recent years. He's only started to tap into his potential with his size and athleticism, and that RATING THE RECRUITS Blue & Gold Illustrated's insights on Notre Dame's 2026 signees Rivals rates Joey O'Brien as the No. 1 safety and No. 25 overall player in the country. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY