Emerging Chicago area LB/EDGE Dominik Hulak commits to Notre Dame Football

The Notre Dame football program has added a second commitment from Chicagoland in the 2025 recruiting cycle. On Friday, Elmhurst (Ill.) Immaculate Conception Catholic Prep junior Dominik Hulak announced his Fighting Irish pledge

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Hulak, a three-star prospect, picked Notre Dame over eight other Power Five offers. Wisconsin finished as a finalist. He also paid unofficial college recruiting visits to Iowa, Illinois and Purdue over the last 17 months.  

Hulak is the No. 448 overall player, No. 44 linebacker and No. 13 prospect in Illinois in 2025, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. In On3’s own rankings, he’s the No. 52 linebacker in the class and No. 16 prospect in Illinois. 

With his pledge, Hulak follows York (Ill.) Community School defensive lineman Joseph Reiff as the second Chicago area recruit to commit to Notre Dame this cycle. The On3 Industry Ranking considers Reiff the No. 433 overall player, No. 42 defensive lineman and No. 11 Illinois prospect. Hulak and Reiff’s schools are one mile apart.

The Irish offered Hulak on March 17 during its “Pot of Gold Day” St. Patrick’s Day-themed recruiting event. Sixty-four other 2025 class recruits reported new Notre Dame offers that day, including commits quarterback Deuce Knight, tight end James Flanigan and EDGE C.J. May. 

Notre Dame’s 2025 recruiting class is currently up to eight commits, including running backs Daniel Anderson and Justin Thurman and defensive lineman Davion Dixon.

Hulak fills the “money” position vacancy for Notre Dame’s 2025 class. Graduate student Marist Liufau currently primarily plays linebacker. However, Liufau has also played a healthy dose of defensive line snaps. 

Last month, Hulak had the opportunity to see firsthand how Liufau operated the position. The junior recruit attended the Oct. 14 USC vs. Notre Dame game — one of his four visits to South Bend. He also attended the program’s “grill & chill” cookout on July 30 and participated in Evaluation Camp I on June 15. 

But Hulak’s first visit on March 25 put the Irish in a prime position to eventually secure his pledge.

“The first time I was down there, I could 100% see myself on campus,” Hulak told Blue & Gold before making his commitment public Friday. “When we toured the place and walked around, I saw myself there. I loved it there. It was awesome.” 

How Dominik Hulak’s Notre Dame football commitment unfolded 

Although the Irish made a strong first impression on Hulak, he still took a patient approach with his recruitment. He visited Iowa three times, Illinois and Wisconsin twice and Purdue. He even participated in a camp at Ohio State last June. 

Those late spring/early summer trips helped Hulak narrow down his recruitment. So when he returned to Notre Dame for its late-July cookout, Irish director of recruiting Chad Bowden initially pushed for Hulak. Still, the Power Five prospect wanted to take his time. 

As football season continued, Bowden kept up his persistence. Finally, his pitch began to resonate with Hulak. 

“He wanted me there,”  Hulak said. “He knew it was the place for me. His message was always, ‘Why not? Why not Notre Dame? You literally have your future set for you after you graduate and everything else?’”

Ultimately, Bowden’s message made Hulak feel like a priority.

“It definitely did,” he said. “It really showed how much they wanted me. How much they really prioritized me in this defense that they wanted to build. They just told me how much I mean to them.” 

Eventually, Hulak realized he was meant to play for Notre Dame. He shut down his recruitment privately in favor of the Fighting Irish last Wednesday.

“Notre Dame has always been a big thing since I grew up compared to other schools,” he said. “I’m a big priority to be a part of this defense.” 

The Dominik Hulak File

Hulak picked up his first scholarship offer from Illinois on Oct. 8, 2022, midway through his sophomore season. He finished that campaign with 57 solo tackles, 3 for loss, 2 pass breakups, 2 fumble recoveries and a sack. He even blocked a field goal.

Until Friday’s commitment, Hulak also reported offers from Wisconsin, Iowa State, Purdue, Iowa, Louisville, Kansas and Missouri. He visited Northwestern last winter, but similarly to Ohio State, the Wildcats chose not to offer.

Hulak has helped IC Catholic Prep to a 9-2 record this season. The Knights are currently in the third round of the Illinois Class 4A playoffs as the No. 7 seed. They face No. 11 seed Burbank (Ill.) St. Laurence. 

He has 36 tackles, 6 for loss, 3 sacks, 3 quarterback hurries, 5 pass breakups and a blocked punt during his junior campaign. Hulak has also boosted the offense by catching 13 passes for 212 yards. On Thursday, he was named to the 2023 Red Grange All-County Football Team. 

In addition to football, Hulak also plays varsity hockey and lacrosse. He reports a 4.6-second 40-yard dash, 305-pound bench press and 500-pound squat.