Markus Fakatou’s decision Monday gave Ohio State another big win on the recruiting trail and left Notre Dame staring at back-to-back losses to finish out the weekend.
The 5-star defensive lineman, who had long been viewed as a strong possibility for the Fighting Irish, chose the Buckeyes instead. That came one day after 2028 quarterback Kingston Preyear committed to Alabama, another player who had once been considered a serious Notre Dame lean before going elsewhere.
Fakatou’s choice wasn’t a total shock. Even before he made it official, the buzz had shifted toward Ohio State, with most analysts already seeing the Buckeyes as the team to beat by a wide margin. When the announcement finally came, it simply confirmed what had been building for a while.
Notre Dame, though, had clearly stayed involved. There was a stretch when Fakatou looked like a real fit for Marcus Freeman and his staff, especially given what the program offered away from the field. Before narrowing things down, he had been considering Georgia, Ohio State and Texas, but Notre Dame did not make his final three.
According to 247Sports, Fakatou is a composite 5-star from Chatsworth, California. He’s listed at about 6-foot-6 and a little over 270 pounds, with the kind of athleticism and playmaking ability that made him one of the most coveted defenders in the country.
His recruitment also came during a period of major movement around Notre Dame’s staff, and that may have mattered. Fakatou reclassified from the 2028 class into the 2027 cycle and spent the winter contact period meeting with coaches from at least a dozen Power Four programs.
Then Notre Dame’s primary recruiter for him, defensive line coach Al Washington, left to become the linebackers coach for the Miami Dolphins. That departure appears to have pushed Fakatou into a more open-ended approach after two years of steady communication with Freeman and company.
There’s also the NIL question, especially after Notre Dame’s strong run in June. It’s possible the Irish simply didn’t have the resources left to stay as aggressive for a prospect of this size.
Still, the program hasn’t gone quiet on the defensive line front. New position coach Charlie Partridge has continued to stack wins, landing 5-star EDGE Abraham Sesay, 4-star DT David Folorunsho, 4-star EDGE Aidan O'Neil, 4-star EDGE Jackson Vaughn, 3-star DT Richie Flanigan, and 3-star DT Segun Alexander. Those additions softened Monday’s miss, even if Fakatou’s commitment to Ohio State was another reminder of how hard it is to beat the Buckeyes when they’re rolling.
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The bigger question now is less about what he can be than how quickly he gets back to that level after the knee injury that interrupted his year. Notre Dames defense is built around players like Viliamu-Asa who can process things fast and finish plays, and if hes fully right again, his next step could be the one that defines both the Irish defense and his long-term ceiling. [Read more 🡒]