Meet the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football class of 2026 commitments

Get to know the class of 2026 prospects committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in this feature from Blue & Gold.

We have provided background info on each of the commits below (in chronological order from the newest pledge to the oldest) and will continue to update this article each time Notre Dame lands a new commitment.

Carrollton (Ga.) Central RB Jonaz Walton

Height: 5-9
Weight: 190
Commitment date: May 14, 2025
On3 Ranking: No. 103 NATL, No. 6 RB and No. 10 player from Georgia

Notre Dame offered Walton as part of its Pot of Gold Day last March, and then-Irish running backs coach Deland McCullough made the 5-9, 190-pounder a major priority. Walton visited South Bend for the first time in January 2025 and loved the trip. Even after Deland McCullough left for the NFL, Walton’s interest in the Irish remained high, and he already had a relationship with new running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider.

He had all the big-time offers in the South — Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Texas — you name it. He even had scholarships from the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, USC and many others.

Walton had a tremendous junior season, rushing for 1,387 yards with 14 touchdowns on just 188 carries, while adding 39 receptions for 646 yards and 4 scores. He rushed for well over 1,000 yards as a freshman and sophomore as well. Through his first three seasons of high school ball, he’s logged 567 carries for 4,714 yards with 56 rushing scores, plus 66 receptions for 953 yards and 7 receiving touchdowns. His three kickoff return touchdowns bring his career scoring total to 66.

Bastrop (Texas) High DL Tiki Hola

Height: 6-2.5
Weight: 300
Commitment date: May 10, 2025
On3 Ranking: No. 92 DL and No. 167 player from Texas

It went down to the wire in Hola’s recruitment, as he considered Notre Dame and SMU, but the efforts of defensive line coach Al Washington and Co. paid off — finally landing their longtime target. Hola also held offers from the likes of Texas, Texas A&M, Georgia, Oregon, Miami, Tennessee, Michigan, Nebraska, USC and many others.

During a tremendous junior season, Hola posted 102 tackles (10 for loss), 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 9 quarterback hurries in 12 games. He was named to the Texas Sports Writers Association 2024 Class 5A first-team all-state defense. He was also on the Padilla Poll Coaches 2024 5A DII all-state second-team defense. Hola was the 2024 Texas District 11-5A defensive MVP.

Forney (Texas) High RB Javian Osborne

Height: 5-9
Weight: 195
Commitment date: May 3, 2025
On3 Ranking: No. 157 NATL, No. 15 RB and No. 20 player from Texas

Osborne earned his offer from Notre Dame in March 2024 but didn’t visit campus until March 2025— a trip that blew him away and made the Irish the lead contender in his recruitment. The four-star prospect returned to campus the next month and informed the staff of his decision to commit during that trip. Osborne picked Notre Dame over Michigan and also held scholarship offers from the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and many others.

Osborne had a strong junior season, rushing for 1,085 yards with 21 touchdowns on 156 carries, while adding three receiving scores. His sophomore season was simply incredible, carrying the rock 290 times for 2,231 yards with 39 overall touchdowns to help lead Forney to a state semifinal appearance in the Texas 5A D1 Conference.

Cincinnati St. Xavier LB Kobe Clapper

Height: 6-2
Weight: 195
Commitment date: May 2, 2025
On3 Ranking: No. 30 LB and No. 20 player from Ohio

Clapper kept his recruitment close to his vest, but his decision to commit to Notre Dame wasn’t a surprise, although the May announcement came out of the blue. The Irish staff offered him last March for its Pot of Gold Day recruiting initiative, and hosted him both that spring and again for the Louisville game. Clapper returned to South Bend in January for Notre Dame’s junior day event and again March 28 to watch practice with his high school teammate, Gordy Sulfsted, who signed with the Irish as part of Notre Dame’s 2025 class.

During his 14-game junior season in which he helped lead St. Xavier to the Ohio Region 4 state championship game, Clapper posted 105 tackles (11.5 for loss), 4.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 pass breakups.

Winter Park (Fla.) High DB Ayden Pouncey

Height: 6-2.5
Weight: 165
Commitment date: Jan. 30, 2025
On3 Ranking: No. 127 NATL, No. 12 S and No. 17 player from Florida

The Irish bested Florida, LSU, Michigan and others for the impressive defensive back who could play cornerback or safety at the next level. The four-star prospect added Notre Dame to his scholarship chart last September, and the Irish made his top-10 schools list that he announced in January, but Pouncey hadn’t made a trip to South Bend yet. His first visit took place at the end of March, and that trip went so well that Notre Dame emerged as the leader in his recruitment. The 6-2.5, 165-pounder returned to Notre Dame April 23, and the second visit within a month was a very encouraging sign that a commitment could be coming. Pouncey informed the Notre Dame staff of his decision while in South Bend and announced it April 26.

On the field, Pouncey has gotten it done on both sides of the ball. During his junior season in 2024, he posted 20 tackles, 3 pass break ups and 2 interceptions, while posting 12 receptions for 202 yards with 4 touchdowns. He was named to the All-Metro first-team for his efforts last year.

Savannah (Ga.) Benedictine Military School WR Bubba Frazier

Height: 5-10
Weight: 165
Commitment date: April 14, 2025
On3 Ranking: No. 54 WR and No. 44 player from Georgia

It only took one visit to Notre Dame for the blazing-fast wide receiver from the Peach State to know that he wanted to call South Bend home for his collegiate football career. A couple days after visiting campus in early April, he informed the Irish staff of his decision and announced his pledge a week and a half later.  Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, UCF and Wisconsin were among the other schools that dished out scholarships to Frazier, but it all clicked for him on the Notre Dame visit.

He had a standout performance at the Under Armour Next camp series stop in Georgia Feb. 9, which led to him adding new offers from Notre Dame, Wake Forest and North Carolina. Frazier ran a blazing-fast 4.43 laser-timed 40-yard dash at the event. For context, only 16 wide receivers ran better 40 times in the 2025 NFL Combine. Frazier was named the Georgia Region 1-AAAA athlete of the year as a junior in 2024. Frazier, who projects as a slot receiver in college, caught 46 passes for 753 yards (16.4 yards per catch) and 5 touchdowns in 12 games last fall.

Portage (Mich.) Northern OL Gregory Patrick

Height: 6-4.5
Weight: 280
Commitment date: April 13, 2025
On3 Ranking: No. 93 NATL, No. 6 IOL and No. 1 player from Michigan

Notre Dame beat up on Michigan for the four-star prospect with Penn State and Michigan State also being major contenders for the versatile lineman. Patrick could play guard or tackle at the next level with the feeling that he’s more likely to start out blocking on the edge. The Irish staff offered him a scholarship in March 2024 and hosted him seven times during his recruiting process.

Patrick was a Michigan first-team all-state performer according to the Michigan Writers Association.

Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park EDGE Rodney Dunham

Height: 6-4
Weight: 225
Commitment date: Jan. 30, 2025
On3 Ranking: No.7 NATL, No. 3 EDGE and No. 1 player from North Carolina

Dunham visited Notre Dame last spring, shortly after receiving his scholarship offer from the Irish on Pot of Gold Day. Though he didn’t return to South Bend until 11 months later, it did not take Notre Dame long to recapture its early momentum. He was in town March 21 for a trip that went incredibly well and directly led to his commitment. He picked the Fighting Irish over finalists Duke, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. The likes of Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State and Oregon were also on his long scholarship sheet.

During his junior campaign in 2024, Dunham posted 39 tackles, including 10 stops for loss, 5 sacks, 16 quarterback hurries and a forced fumble and fumble recovery. He had a strong season in 2023 too, recording 54 stops (16 for loss), 6 sacks, 20 quarterback hurries, 3 interceptions, 3 passes batted down and a field goal block.

Garner (N.C.) South Garner EDGE Ebenezer Ewetade

Height: 6-4
Weight: 220
Commitment date: April 5, 2025
On3 Ranking: No. 29 NATL, No. 6 EDGE and No. 3 player from North Carolina

This was a monster recruiting win for the Irish, as the Irish beat out Alabama, Georgia, Florida State and N.C. State and many others. Notre Dame offered the talented prospect during its junior day event at the end of January, and Ewetade nearly committed on the spot. It was during his return visit April 5 that he informed all the Irish staff of his decision to pick Notre Dame.

Ewetade’s junior season was tremendous, as he totaled 82 tackles (28 for loss), 10 sacks, 27 quarterback hurries, 1 pass deflection and 4 forced fumbles in just nine games. His sophomore season wasn’t shabby either, notching 24 stops (8 for loss), 5 sacks and 1 forced fumble across seven contests. Ebenezer was named to the GNRC all-conference team for his efforts in 2024 and was a team captain. On the track, he has a personal best of 22.5 seconds in the 200-meter race.

Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Cumberland Valley OL Tyler Merrill

Height: 6-5
Weight: 330
Commitment date: Jan. 30, 2025
On3 Ranking: No. 119 NATL, No. 8 IOL and No. 3 player from Pennsylvania

Notre Dame got its third offensive line pledge in the 2026 cycle when Merrill announced his pledge in late January despite visiting Penn State twice as many times (10 to 5). Blue & Gold always considered Merrill an Irish lean, and he privately committed to the ND staff Jan. 25 during his junior day visit. He held other scholarship offers from the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Texas A&M. Merrill cited the people within the Notre Dame football program as a key decision in his commitment.

Merrill was named to the 2024 PAFootballnews.com Coaches Select Class 6A All-State first-team offense and PennLive’s 2024 All-Star High School Football Team.

Davison (Mich.) High OL Ben Nichols

Height: 6-5
Weight: 315
Commitment date: Dec. 24, 2024
On3 Ranking: No. 234 NATL, No. 15 IOL and No. 3 player from Michigan

Notre Dame’s second offensive line pledge in the 2026 class came from a strong, massive prospect who projects on the interior for the Fighting Irish. Nichols announced his pledge to the Fighting Irish over Wisconsin, Tennessee and Penn State. The likes of Ohio State, Alabama, Florida State and Iowa were also on his offer sheet. The Irish offered him back on March 17, 2024 for Pot of Gold day and prioritized the four-star prospect the entire way.

The Michigan High School Football Coaches Association (MHSFCA) named him to its Division 1 first team in 2024. He was also first-team All-Region in Division 1, Region 2. MLive named him to its first team, Flint-Area Dream Team. 

Allegan (Mich.) High OL Sullivan Garvin

Height: 6-6
Weight: 300
Commitment date: Dec. 5, 2024
On3 Ranking: No. 28 IOL and No. 6 player from Michigan

Garvin was the first offensive lineman in the 2026 recruiting cycle to select the Irish. Garvin’s public commitment came 18 days after he visited campus for the Irish’s victory over Virginia Nov. 2024, and he gave the Notre Dame staff indication it wouldn’t be long before they’d received his pledge. Indiana, Washington, Kansas, Purdue and Cincinnati were among the other schools that offered him a scholarship.

Garvin is coming off a junior season where he earned first-team Southwestern Athletic Conference honors. The year before, he captured a spot on the honorable mention list. Garvin claimed a spot on the Michigan Division 5, Region 1 all-region team in 2024. He was also a team MVP, team captain and did not surrender any sacks. 

Chattanooga (Tenn.) McCallie School CB Chaston Smith

Height: 6-1
Weight: 170
Commitment date: Dec. 1, 2024
On3 Ranking: No. 295 NATL, No. 29 CB and No. 9 player from Tennessee

Heading into his decision date, the feeling from national sources was that he was choosing between Clemson and Texas A&M, so his selection of Notre Dame was a very welcomed surprise. Smith only visited South Bend once, and it was to see the Fighting Irish dismantle Florida State Nov. 2024. Other programs that offered Smith included Ole Miss, Tennessee, Michigan, Oregon, Auburn, Alabama, Southern Cal, Penn State, LSU, Florida, Wisconsin and Missouri. 

Smith only only played in four games as a junior before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. In those outings, he compiled 5 solo tackles, 2 pass breakups and 1 interception. Smith’s older brother, Penny, trains him. He played his collegiate football at Jacksonville State after transferring from UT-Chattanooga.

Matthews (N.C.) Weddington LB Thomas Davis Jr.

Height: 6-2
Weight: 210
Commitment date: Nov. 12, 2024
On3 Ranking: No. 36 LB and No. 23 player from North Carolina

Notre Dame has been rolling in the past couple years landing commitments from the sons of former NFL athletes, and Davis Jr. adds to that in the 2026 cycle. Notre Dame badly wanted the talented prospect in its class and was thrilled to add him shortly after he visited for the Florida State game Nov. 2024. Oregon, USC, Ohio State, Clemson, Michigan and Penn State are among the schools on Davis’ long offer list.

He is the son of former NFL linebacker Thomas Davis Sr. The elder Davis played for Georgia before playing 16 years in the NFL for the Panthers, Chargers and Washington Football Team. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro in 2015.

Lake Mary (Fla.) High QB Noah Grubbs

Height: 6-4.5
Weight: 195
Commitment date: June 1, 2024
On3 Ranking: No. 22 QB and No. 50 player from Florida

Notre Dame locked in an early quarterback commitment from a top target at the position in the 2026 class. And when Grubbs eventually enrolls at Notre Dame, he’ll do so as one of the most productive quarterbacks in the history of Florida high school football. Grubbs committed to the Irish before his junior season over the likes of Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio State and a handful of others.

During his sophomore season in which he helped Lake Mary to a 10-2 record in 2023, Grubbs completed 208 passes on 354 attempts for 3,670 yards with 49 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He added four rushing scores as well. The Orlando Touchdown Club and the Orlando Sentinel named him its 2023 Offensive Player of the Year.

Grubbs set the following Lake Mary school records in 2023: single-game passing touchdowns (8), single-game passing yardage (528), single-season passing touchdowns (49), single-season passing yards (3,677), most passes completed in a single game (31), single-season completions (207) and attempts (356) and is the school’s all-time leader in average yards per game (306.4).

In his 15-game junior season in 2024, Grubbs completed 205 of 355 pass attempts for 3,024 passing yards, 37 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He added 33 carries for 146 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns.

Boca Raton (Fla.) Saint Andrew’s School WR Dylan Faison

Height: 5-11
Weight: 170
Commitment date: March 18, 2024
On3 Ranking: No. 154 WR and No. 113 player from Florida

Faison locked in his Notre Dame commitment a day after earning a scholarship offer from the Fighting Irish, which took place on Pot of Gold for the 2026 class. His older brother is Jordan Faison, a receiver for ND and star on the men’s lacrosse team. Dylan will also play football and lacrosse for the Fighting Irish. He’s considered a five-star lacrosse recruit and had a strong junior season on the gridiron, hauling in 59 receptions for 809 yards with 9 touchdowns, plus 29 rushes for 96 yards with 2 scores on the ground.