Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM PRESEASON 2026 51 BY KYLE KELLY Notre Dame defensive line coach Charlie Partridge has delivered head coach Marcus Freeman arguably the biggest defensive verbal commitment of Freeman's five years leading the program. On May 15, Chicago St. Patrick five- star defensive lineman David Folo- runsho publicized his pledge to the Fighting Irish over a finalist group that included Miami, Texas Tech, Georgia and Michigan. He announced his de- cision live during a ceremony on the Rivals YouTube channel. Since On3 Recruiting — which de- buted its rankings in 2021 before re- branding to Rivals last July — began ranking prospects, Folorunsho, the No. 8 overall recruit in the 2027 class, is just the second top-10 player in the overall rankings, at the time of his com- mitment, to pledge to the Irish during the Freeman era. Last year, Notre Dame landed a commitment from Rivals' No. 7 overall player in the class at the time of his pledge, five-star edge rusher Rodney Dunham. Dunham later finished as Ri- vals' No. 8 overall prospect in the cycle. But because of positional need, Folo- runsho's location and his eye-popping potential, the 6-foot-3, 285-pounder has a case to be the most significant re- cruiting win of Freeman's tenure. Folo- runsho is also the first top-50 recruit, according to Rivals, that Notre Dame has landed out of Chicago under Freeman. Folorunsho's commitment carries even more historical significance. Ac- cording to longtime recruiting ana- lyst Tom Lemming, Folorunsho could become Notre Dame's first five-star- caliber defensive tackle to join the pro- gram since Steve Niehaus signed with the Irish in 1972. It is contingent upon Folorunsho remaining in the top 32 — the threshold for five-star status — and signing with the Irish in December. And it all became possible because of Partridge. "The main thing that stood out to me is that Coach Partridge is the best developer out of my top five schools," Folorunsho told Blue & Gold Illustrated before making his decision public. "Just knowing that, I'm just like, 'Why would I not want to get coached by the top de- veloper in college football?'" Partridge offered Folorunsho Feb. 6 during a pivotal stage of his recruitment. After a breakout junior season at St. Patrick in which he totaled 56 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 6 sacks, Folo- runsho reported scholarship offers from 28 Power Four programs. It solidified his emergence as one of the country's most coveted prospects, with 39 Power Four schools ultimately extending offers before his commitment announcement. Rivals reinforced Folorunsho's rising reputation, elevating him to five-star status and ranking him as the No. 1 player in Illinois and the No. 2 defensive line- man nationally. Four days later, Folo- runsho was back at Notre Dame for what proved to be a game-changing visit. On April 24, Folorunsho unofficially visited Notre Dame with his mother. It marked his second trip to campus in seven days. Folorunsho's first visit to South Bend after receiving his Irish offer came April 17 alongside his head coach, Tom Zbikowski, and St. Patrick president Dan Santucci. Zbikowski (2004-07) and Santucci (2003-06) both played at Notre Dame and strongly advocated for the program throughout Folorunsho's recruitment. Still, the Irish needed to win over Folo- runsho's mother. That's where Freeman came through during the April 24 visit. "Getting Coach Freeman in front of my mom and having her feel safe that I'm in good hands was a huge part," Fol- orunsho said. When Blue & Gold Illustrated recruit- ing insider Mike Singer interviewed Fol- orunsho after the visit, the Chicagoland recruit said he planned to take his of- ficial visits and announce a commit- ment at the end of the summer. But af- ter Folorunsho and his mother sat down to discuss the recruiting process, they decided to accelerate the timeline. "I feel like I had all the information that I needed to make my decision," he said. "My mom and I talked about it, and we decided to make it earlier." For Folorunsho, the main thing is fo- cusing on his senior season. Now, he enters that year with his college deci- sion finalized and full confidence in the direction of Freeman's program. "I have a huge belief in what they're doing," he said. "Coach Freeman is a leader of men. What he's building and the people he has surrounded himself with in the program are phenomenal." ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE DAVID FOLORUNSHO Five-Star Chicago Defensive Tackle Possesses 'Eye-Popping' Potential FILM ANALYSIS "David Folorunsho is an attacking defensive tackle who has the potential to wreck games with his athleticism and natural ability. We project him as a difference-maker on the in- terior. Offensive lines will have to game plan for him. When you have a presence like that on the interior, it opens things up for your pass rushers on the outside and linebackers blitzing. He's going to be a load to deal with. … "There's so much to like here, and landing him is huge for the Irish. Notre Dame is show- ing no signs of slowing down. They're stacking early-round NFL talent, especially along the lines of scrimmage. They're recruiting like a big-boy program that plays big-boy football. Notre Dame is stacking its roster with tal- ent that can make deep runs in the College Football Playoff, and Folorunsho adds to the momentum the Irish are building under Mar- cus Freeman." — Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power Rivals rates Folorunsho as a five-star talent, the No. 1 player in Illinois, and the No. 2 defensive lineman and No. 8 overall recruit in the country. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS