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Newsstand: Irish DL coach Al Washington visits five-star Notre Dame commit

IMG_7504by:Jack Soble•05/14/25•

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New Notre Dame commit Rodney Dunham (center) with Irish coaches Al Washington (left) and Marcus Freeman (right).

Notre Dame coaches are on the road for another week, and one took Tuesday afternoon to visit the crown jewel of the Fighting Irish’s 2026 recruiting class.

Irish defensive line coach Al Washington visited the home of Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park edge rusher Rodney Dunham on Tuesday, Dunham posted on social media.

Dunham is the No. 16 player and No. 2 edge rusher in the On3 Industry Ranking, as well as the No. 2 player in North Carolina. He’s the No. 7 player in On3’s own rankings, with only two edge rushers and no one in the Tar Heel State ahead of him.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Dunham committed to the Fighting Irish on April 10 and leads the fourth-best recruiting class in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Team Ranking. He’s the highest-ranked of the Irish’s 15 commitments.

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“He’s been one of my favorite recruits since he got offered. He’s fundamentally sound, and I love his film. He’s physical, powerful at the point of attack and has an unbelievable stance. Hola has been like this for a couple years. He has great hustle, awesome leg strength and will be a 305-310 pound inside guy. His potential down the road is very exciting.

“Hola plays with great effort, and you see that on special teams. He blocked a few field goals as a junior, which is all effort. This is a heck of a get — size, potential, and he’s really good fundamentally. You’re landing another prospect from Texas; it’s crazy how well they’re doing in the state.”

— Blue & Gold analyst Tim Hyde on defensive tackle Tiki Hola, Notre Dame’s most recent 2026 commitment

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