Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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62 PRESEASON 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER Notre Dame had the No. 2-ranked class in the 2027 cycle as of Aug. 3, and the Irish's 2028 class is off to a strong start. Head coach Marcus Freeman's program got a major boost July 27. Bolingbrook (Ill.) High's Darieon Prescott — No. 1 prospect in Illinois, and the No. 4 edge and No. 16 overall pros- pect nationally according to the 2028 Ri- vals Industry Ranking — announced his commitment to Notre Dame over Oregon and Texas A&M live on the "Pat McAfee Show." Before going public with his deci- sion, Prescott spoke to Blue & Gold Illus- trated about picking the Fighting Irish. "I love Notre Dame," Prescott said. "I love everything about it — the envi- ronment, the intensity they play with during practice and games, the coaching staff and the players. I enjoy everything about Notre Dame. "I love how highly they value aca- demics and how strong the culture is. At Bolingbrook, we talk about responsibility, accountability and culture, and I feel that Notre Dame has the same motto. Whether it's academics, football or anything, Notre Dame carries itself really well." Prescott earned his first offer from Il- linois in January 2025, and Notre Dame extended a scholarship to him in June 2025. He visited for Fighting Irish home games last fall and returned for a spring practice March 28. Prescott's fourth visit to campus was June 18. More than 30 college programs have offered Prescott a scholarship, includ- ing Alabama, Florida, LSU, Ohio State, Penn State and Tennessee. The entire Notre Dame staff, including Freeman, defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, defensive line assistants Nick Sebastian and Chase Jones, all played an important role in helping Prescott de- cide to commit before his junior season. "Notre Dame was one of my first big offers, and they were coming off their na- tional championship run," he said. "They showed me how much respect they have for me as a player and a person. Notre Dame recruited me hard; they reached out to me every single day. Whenever I visited, they treated me like family. "I connected well with all the coaches. On my last visit, I talked with Coach Par- tridge for hours, and I felt a strong bond with him. We have the same mindset when it comes to the game of football." Notre Dame had long been a con- tender in Prescott's recruitment, and the Irish became the clear leader during his visit last month. "It was definitely during that conver- sation with Coach Partridge," Prescott said when asked when it clicked with him that he wanted to commit. "We were talking for a long time." Other programs will likely continue to recruit Prescott because he committed so early in the process, but the Irish have his full attention moving forward. "I'm focused on Notre Dame," said Prescott, who will visit South Bend mul- tiple times this fall. "Being one of the top players in the 2028 class, I wanted to set the tone. God helped show me that it was the right time to commit." D u r i n g h i s s o p h o m o re s ea s o n , Prescott recorded 65 stops, 14 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 8 passes broken up, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 26 quar- terback pressures and 2 blocked kicks on his way to being named a second-team Sophomore All-American by Rivals. "On the field, I bring high energy, and I've been a captain since I was a fresh- man," Prescott said. "Going to Notre Dame, I can bring that same presence. A lot of my coaches say that I'm a bet- ter person than I am a player, and I'm a pretty good player." Prescott had a strong freshman sea- son as well, being named to the 2024 MaxPreps Freshman All-America Team. He posted 66 tackles, 9 stops for loss, 5 sacks, 7 passes broken up, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception, 27 quarterback pressures and 2 blocked kicks. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE DARIEON PRESCOTT Elite 2028 Edge Picks Notre Dame Over Oregon And Texas A&M FILM ANALYSIS "Darieon Prescott is a physically imposing edge prospect who has had a lot of growth and development over the past year. … "This is a big get for Notre Dame. With him already being 250 pounds, where he plays long term is up in the air. If he gets bigger and bigger, he could slide inside. There's potential position versatility. We saw him work on the edge and inside at the Under Armour Chicago camp, and he was good at both spots. "Prescott projects as a high upside player on the defensive front for Notre Dame. The Irish have been landing big-time prospects from Chicago, particularly on the defensive front. Notre Dame is recruiting the defensive front as well as anyone in college football, and adding Prescott to that group only furthers that trend." — Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power Prescott — a 6-foot-4, 255-pound edge — was named a second-team Sophomore All- American by Rivals after compiling 65 stops, 14 tackles for loss, 5 sacks and 26 quarterback pressures last fall. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY