Five-star OL Albert Simien messes with Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Five-star OL Albert Simien messes with Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Jun 29, 2026 8:54 PM ET

Marcus Freeman had it coming when it came to the commitment day "shenanigans" from five-star interior offensive line recruit Albert Simien.

Simien committed to Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Monday, but he made a show of it by first putting on an LSU cap. He then followed that up with an Ole Miss hat and a "Hotty Toddy."

Away went that hat, though, and alongside his mom, who was in on the jokes with him, Simien ultimately committed to Notre Dame.

Afterward, the five-star revealed that he also played a similar prank on Freeman a few hours before appearing on "SportsCenter" to announce his decision.

"I messed with Coach Freeman a little bit when I called him," Simien told Irish Sports Daily. "I was kind of edging the lines of I wasn't going to go. Then at the very end of it, I told him, 'Yeah, I really want to be a part of that and I'm going to commit.' It was like two hours before I committed live.”

Albert Simien, the No. 1 offensive guard in the nation, joins SportsCenter to announce his commitment to Notre Dame pic.twitter.com/Gb1JJYRi1k
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) June 26, 2026

This is a big commitment for Freeman and the Irish, literally.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish get massive commitment from five-star IOL

Simien is 6-foot-4, 280 pounds with room to grow into his frame. According to the 247Sports Composite, he's ranked as the No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the 2027 class.

The fake commitment to LSU was extra effective because Simien is from Lake Charles, Louisiana, which is about two hours west of Baton Rouge.

Simien said the practical jokes were all earned by Freeman and the Irish.

"Coach Freeman had it coming because before my official visit, he tried to mess with me and talk about, 'Oh man, we got another commitment. You aren't going to get a chance to visit,'" Simien explained.

"He had it coming. I had to get him back."

Simien joins a 2027 Notre Dame class that could end up being the best in the nation when all is said and done. As it stands, he's Notre Dame's 21st commitment to a class that's ranked No. 2 nationally.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

More must-reads: