Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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50 PRESEASON 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER Only one of Notre Dame's 18 official visitors during the June 19-21 weekend hadn't been to South Bend yet, and that one prospect committed to the Fight- ing Irish. Granted, 15 of those prospects were already Irish commits headed into the weekend, but with that one target, Notre Dame made quick work. Near the end of the trip, Rabun Gap (Ga.) Nacoochee School class of 2027 defensive tackle Segun "Shaggy" Al- exander informed the Irish staff of his commitment, and his decision became public June 12. "Right before my Notre Dame visit, I had two schools that I really liked, Texas A&M and Clemson," Alexander told Ri- vals' Chad Simmons. "But going into Notre Dame, I had a feeling I was really going to like the school." He loved everything about his first experience in South Bend. "I knew by the second day that I was going to Notre Dame," Alexander con- tinued. "After we finished our first full day of activities and experiencing the people, it just felt different. The only school that came close to that feeling was Clemson, but Notre Dame pulled ahead because of the people. It wasn't fake. It was real." When explaining why he chose the Irish, Alexander pointed to develop- ment, attention to detail and academics. "First would have to be the people," he said. "I can tell they'll develop me not just as a football player but as a man. Second is the detail. Notre Dame does everything right and doesn't cut cor- ners. Lastly, the education. I felt like Notre Dame had the best of both worlds — great football, great education and a chance to compete for a national cham- pionship every year. "It is really the best of both worlds at Notre Dame." Alexander, who is Rivals' No. 23 de- fensive lineman and No. 192 overall player nationally, took official visits to Cal, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, Clem- son and Vanderbilt before making it to South Bend. Oklahoma, Florida, Geor- gia, Tennessee and several others of- fered scholarships to him. The 6-foot-4, 270-pounder was a member of the 2028 class but reclas- sified to the 2027 cycle in May. Notre Dame offered him in April and decided to continue to recruit him after his reclassification. According to his team's MaxPreps page, Alexander recorded 36 total stops, 18 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, 19 quarter- back hurries, 1 fumble recovery and 1 forced fumble in 12 games. "He is incredibly strong, and his best football is still ahead of him," Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School head coach Derek White said. "He's only 17 years old. Off the field, he's a special young man. He's an amazing person and has great character. His faith is important to him. "Shaggy works hard, shows up on time, is a leader and has a quiet and humble soul. He really cares about his teammates and loves them. He's really special." During his freshman campaign at Lil- burn (Ga.) Providence Christian Acad- emy, he posted 53 tackles, 15 stops for loss, 6 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. In the spring of 2024, Alexander re- ports that he ran a 4.69-second 40- yard dash at 6-3, 260 pounds. The fol- lowing spring, he placed third in the 1A-3A Georgia state track and field competition in the shot put. He is from Toronto and moved to Geor- gia for high school. Alexander's older brother Oyeka is a redshirt sophomore defensive lineman at Miami (Ohio). ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE SEGUN ALEXANDER FILM ANALYSIS "You have to start with [Segun Alexander's] explosiveness. He's a very twitchy, athletic interior de- fensive lineman and makes big-time flash plays on his film. I really like what I see from his movement skills. He's able to convert speed to power and has a compact build. He's around 6-2, 6-3 and carries his weight extremely well. He's densely built with a bunch of muscle mass, and at his size, he shows a lot of burst and play strength. His closing speed pops; Alexander makes plays behind the line of scrimmage at a high rate. He projects as a plus-pass rusher on the interior. "Alexander gives Notre Dame a disruptive presence on the interior. He's another piece in what's a fantastic haul on the D-line. Notre Dame is recruiting both lines of scrimmage as well as anyone in the 2027 cycle. When you drop him in with the other commits they have, Notre Dame continues to recruit like a national championship contender on the defensive line. They're recruiting at an excellent level, and Alexander continues that." — Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power Official Visit Leads Talented Defensive Tackle To Notre Dame Alexander, who is Rivals' No. 23 defensive lineman and No. 192 overall prospect in the land, committed to Notre Dame over Cal, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Vanderbilt and others. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS