Notre Dame and longtime defensive line commit Owen Wafle part ways

2024 three-star defensive lineman Owen Wafle and Notre Dame are going in different directions. On Wednesday, Wafle made his decommitment from the Irish public as the coaching staff reshuffles and reevaluates the 2024 defensive line board.

The 6-foot-2, 267-pound Wafle from Princeton (N.J.) Hun School verbally committed to Notre Dame on May 16, 2022. He chose the Fighting Irish over finalists Iowa, Michigan State, Rutgers and Vanderbilt.

Wafle is the second commitment the Irish coaching staff has reconsidered this cycle. On Dec. 11, Notre Dame and four-star defensive lineman Brandon Davis-Swain went in different directions. The 6-foot-2 1/2, 240-pound Davis-Swain from West Bloomfield (Mich.) High, had been committed to the Irish since April 23, 2022, before leaving the class in December.

The decision to part ways with Wafle comes after defensive coordinator Al Golden scheduled a stop by Wafle’s high school last Thursday. Defensive line coach Al Washington saw Wafle at his high school on April 27, the first day the Irish coaching staff hit the road for the spring evaluation period.

Wafle last visited Notre Dame on April 22 for the Blue-Gold Game. He was also in South Bend for the program’s junior day event on Jan. 14 and the ND vs. Clemson game on Nov. 5.

Before Wafle’s junior season, he reported nine Power Five offers. Since October, he also picked up scholarship offers from Duke, Oklahoma, Illinois and Cincinnati.

In nine games during his junior campaign, Wafle had 64 tackles (43 solo), 24 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and four quarterback hurries. As a sophomore, he registered 48 tackles (27 solo), five tackles for loss, one sack and four quarterback hurries.

The On3 Industry Ranking — a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services — considers Wafle as the No. 407 overall player, No. 38 defensive lineman and No. 7 prospect in New Jersey. He has an 88.95 rating.

In On3’s own rankings, he is the No. 71 defensive lineman and No. 15 prospect in New Jersey. On3 gave him an 88 rating.

Wafle’s On3 NIL Valuation annual value is $36,000.

Breaking down Notre Dame’s defensive line board

The Irish have two other defensive linemen committed in the 2024 recruiting cycle in four-star EDGE Bryce Young and three-star vyper (hybrid linebacker/weakside defensive end) Cole Mullins. Both recruits pledged to ND last month after visiting campus days earlier.

The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Young from Charlotte (N.C.) Christian is the son of former Notre Dame defensive lineman and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bryant Young. Bryce is the No. 325 overall player, No. 22 EDGE and No. 10 prospect in North Carolina, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He has an 89.68 rating.

Mullins (6-4, 240 pounds) from Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek is the No. 605 overall player, No. 68 linebacker and No. 75 prospect in Georgia, per the On3 Industry Ranking. He has an 87.77 rating.

The Irish are also trending for four-star EDGE Loghan Thomas from Katy (Texas) Paetow High. The On3 Industry Ranking considers the 6-3, 210-pound Thomas the No. 169 overall player, No. 11 EDGE and No. 30 prospect in Texas. Thomas is set to announce his commitment at 5:45 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.

Other D-linemen in the picture for Notre Dame

Notre Dame is still near the top of two other defensive linemen recruitments. Chicago (Ill.) St. Ignatius five-star target Justin Scott and Clearwater (Fla.) Academy International three-star recruit Sean Sevillano. Scott and Sevillano made trips to South Bend in the spring and figure to return soon.

The 6-1 1/2, 325-pound Sevillano is officially visiting for the weekend of June 16. The Irish are working on getting Scott back to campus sometime this summer. The 6-5, 310-pound Scott is set to officially visit Georgia, Miami (Fla.), Michigan and Ohio State next month.

Scott has said he doesn’t feel it’s necessary to use one of his five June official visits to Notre Dame because of its proximity to home and the number of times he’s been to campus.

The Irish are also firmly in the mix for five-star EDGE rusher Elijah Rushing and four-star EDGE Mylachi Williams.

Tucson (Ariz.) Salpointe Catholic’s Rushing (6-6, 225 pounds) has visited Notre Dame twice and will be back the weekend of June 8 for an official visit. The 6-3, 210-pound Williams from Philadelphia Monsignor Bonner visited Notre Dame in April and will return for a June official visit.