Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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58 PRESEASON 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER Blue & Gold Illustrated spoke with Lake Charles (La.) Sam Houston class of 2027 offensive lineman Albert Simien in January after an Under Armour All- America Game practice, and the vibe from the interview was that the Irish had to make up a lot of ground on the SEC programs he was considering. If you would've told him at that point that he'd end up committing to Notre Dame several months later, he would have been dumbfounded. "That would definitely have surprised me," Simien told BGI. "At that time, I was gung-ho about staying close to home." Texas A&M was the longtime favorite to land Simien, with insider predictions first being logged for him to pick the Aggies last fall. And after his A&M offi- cial visit the weekend of May 31, he told Rivals that the Aggies still held the lead. LSU, the in-state school, was another mainstay in his recruitment. The five-star prospect announced his pledge to the Fighting Irish live on ESPN's "SportsCenter" on June 26. He visited Notre Dame three times. Simien saw the Irish knock off North Carolina State last October and returned for ju- nior day in March. He officially visited June 19-21, leading to his commitment. His younger sister, who is entering high school, gave Albert her blessing to leave the South for college, opening the door for the Fighting Irish to make a move. "She told me that I will find ways to come back and see her dance perfor- mances," Simien said. "If distance isn't a factor, why wouldn't I go to one of the top schools academics-wise? And their great football is a plus." Simien officially visited LSU, Texas A&M, Nebraska and Notre Dame, in that order. Shortly after his trip to South Bend, he knew it was the school he wanted to attend. But he kept sus- pense going with his future head coach. "I told Coach [Marcus] Freeman about two hours before my announce- ment," Simien said. Freeman had to sweat out the deci- sion, but it was all worth it. "He was messing with me before my official visit, saying that they got an- other O-line commit and they had to cancel my visit," Simien recalled with a laugh. "I had to get him back. I had to keep it suspenseful. It was all fun. "That's just our relationship. I've been talking with him way more than with other head coaches that were re- cruiting me. We talk all the time about life — not just football. "I told him that Notre Dame was the place for me, and he was really excited." It would be a surprise if other pro- grams stopped recruiting Simien, the No. 2 interior lineman and No. 9 overall player nationally per Rivals. However, he doesn't appear to be keeping his re- cruitment open. "I'm very confident in my decision," said Simien, who plans to return for a few home games this fall. "If Notre Dame isn't playing, I'm not watching. That's all I've got to say." Simien graduates from Sam Houston this winter and will enroll early at Notre Dame. He'll begin his career as an inte- rior player, but a move to tackle is not out of the realm of possibility. "I'll start out at guard to get intro- duced to college football, and then they'll experiment with me to see if tackle will work," he said. Simien played in the 2026 Under Ar- mour All-American Game and Poly- nesian Bowl, both of which now allow high school juniors to participate. He was named to the 2024 and 2025 Amer- ican Press All-Southwest Louisiana Big School Team and made the 2025 Loui- siana Football Coaches Association 5A first-team all-state squad. Simien was picked for the 2024 Louisiana District 5A-3 team following his sophomore season. He also plays for the Sam Houston basketball team and participates in track and field. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE ALBERT SIMIEN Five-Star Offensive Lineman Chooses Notre Dame Over The SEC FILM ANALYSIS "Albert Simien is dominant on Friday nights. He lines up at left tackle for his high school, and there's positional versatility with Simien. He could play any of the five offensive line positions in college given his build. He's not the tallest offensive lineman at around 6-3, but he has 34-plus-inch arms, and that length can compensate and allow him to line up at tackle if needed. "The first thing that sticks out when you watch him play is that he is a violent, aggressive blocker. He might have more pancakes on his film than anyone else in the 2027 cycle. He looks to finish and put defenders in the dirt on every play." — Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power Simien, who is Rivals' No. 2 interior offensive lineman and No. 9 overall prospect in the country, commit- ted to Notre Dame over Texas A&M and in-state LSU. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS