Latest Notre Dame recruiting news ends a couple of tough days for the Fighting Irish staff and the 2026 recruiting class

It has been a tough week for the Notre Dame football staff, and more specifically, the recruiting operation. Head coach Marcus Freeman has been busy putting together a tremendous 2026 class so far, and a big reason for that is the work that defensive line coach Al Washington has been putting in. It has a chance to be their best defensive line haul in several years. 

With commitments from five-star defensive end Rodney Dunham, toolsy pass rusher Ebenezer Ewetade, and Texas run stopper Tiki Hola, that is a near elite foundation to build on. With one to two spots left, the Fighting Irish just needed a good finish. That hope took a hit over the last couple of days. 

It started on Monday when Chicago (Ill.) Simeon standout McHale Blade committed to the Michigan Wolverines. In reality, Notre Dame had not been pushing for Blade for several weeks. You could make an argument that it wasn’t a loss at all. They were okay with the 6-4, 245-pound defensive end committing elsewhere. 

The same was not true of Liberty Hill (Texas) High School defensive tackle Alister Vallejo, who also committed to Michigan on Tuesday. The Irish had made the 6-3, 310-pound defender a major priority in the class. Missing on him was a tough pill to swallow. 

It went further under the radar but Notre Dame also missed on Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra star Khary Wilder on Tuesday night. At 6-4 and 260 pounds, Wilder is viewed as a defensive lineman that is eventually going to move inside on a full time basis. They have been drawn to his outstanding combination of length and explosiveness, but a substantial Ohio State offer was too much for Wilder to ignore.