Notre Dame’s 2027 class is already looking dangerous, and two of the biggest reasons are putting together huge senior seasons before they ever arrive in South Bend.
Four-star EDGE Jackson Vaughn and four-star running back Lathan Whisenton have both come out hot, and their starts have only strengthened the buzz around a Notre Dame group that’s ranked near the top of the country for this cycle.
Vaughn, who transferred from Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic to Bradenton (Fla.)
IMG Academy, is getting better by the week. In his fourth game at IMG, he piled up 9 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 2 quarterback pressures.
That effort helped his team hand Orlando (Fla.) The First Academy its first loss of the season.
The production has been relentless through four games. Vaughn has 21 tackles, 14 TFLs, 3 sacks, and 2 QB pressures, and he’s been a problem for every offensive line in front of him.
Notre Dame landed Vaughn on May 26, 2026, after he reclassified to 2027. He picked the Fighting Irish over Auburn, LSU, Miami, and South Carolina.
Rivals Industry Rankings list him as the No. 149 player in the 2027 class, the No. 16 EDGE, and the No. 17 player in Florida.
This fall is just the latest chapter in a strong high school run. As a sophomore in 2025, Vaughn posted 40 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, and 3 pass breakups in 11 games for Bergen Catholic, earning Sophomore All-America recognition from MaxPreps and Rivals while helping the Crusaders finish 8-3. As a freshman in 2024, he added 16 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 8 sacks, giving him 56 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 16 sacks over his first two seasons.
Whisenton has been just as loud on the offensive side. The 6-foot-0, 200-pound back has been turning touches into chunk plays all season, and his latest outing was another one for the stat sheet: 15 carries, 140 yards and 3 touchdowns in Waco (Texas) Midway’s 21-10 win over Belton High.
Through four games, Whisenton has already piled up 502 rushing yards on 59 carries and scored 8 times. He’s also contributed as a receiver and return man, with 3 catches for 28 yards and 1 kick return for 36 yards.
Whisenton committed to Notre Dame on March 25, 2026, choosing the Fighting Irish over finalists that included Florida, Texas, and Texas Tech. In the 247Sports Composite rankings, he’s the No. 142 player in the 2027 class, the No. 8 running back, and the No. 18 player in Texas.
His junior year was even more evidence of what Notre Dame is getting. In 2025, Whisenton rushed for 1,502 yards and 24 touchdowns on 165 carries, averaged 9.1 yards per attempt and 136.5 rushing yards per game, added 10 receptions for 102 yards, and finished with 1,710 all-purpose yards as Midway went 9-2. He earned district Co-MVP honors and entered his senior season with 3,247 career rushing yards and 48 rushing touchdowns.
For Notre Dame, Vaughn and Whisenton are two headline names in a 2027 class that’s already stacked with talent.
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Notre Dame still expects the reclassified 2027 prospect to be healed in time to enroll early and join spring practice, which keeps the long-term outlook intact. Even so, his rehab will be worth watching closely, because the shoulder is now the one issue hovering over a commitment the Irish beat out Florida State and Ohio State to land. [Read more 🡒]