Notre Dame kept the momentum rolling on the recruiting trail Saturday, and the latest addition is another defensive piece for Marcus Freeman’s 2028 class.
Julian Bruno, a 6-1, 210-pound linebacker, announced his commitment to the Fighting Irish after choosing Notre Dame over Stanford, California, Ole Miss and other programs. He becomes the third 2028 prospect to join the class this weekend, following elite running back Zaiden Jernigan and big time defensive end Asa Burch.
Bruno had been trending toward South Bend for a while. Coming into the weekend, sources pointed to him as the most likely of the group to land with Notre Dame, and he made that official. Notre Dame offered him in July, then steadily increased its push as linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary and the recruiting staff made him a bigger priority.
The Irish were not the only school making a strong case. Bruno is a high academic prospect, which helped keep Stanford firmly in the mix. He visited Stanford three times and also held an offer from California.
On the field, Bruno has put together a huge season at Grant. According to MaxPreps, he has 83 tackles, 50 of them solo, along with 11 tackles for loss in seven games. He has also posted 2.5 sacks, four pass break ups and four forced fumbles.
That production fits a larger pattern. Bruno has been a starter and impact player since his freshman year, and his numbers have stayed strong every season.
As a junior, he totaled 109 tackles, 68 solo, with 14 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. As a freshman, he recorded 84 stops, 44 solo, added 7.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and forced two fumbles.
Bruno is currently rated a three-star recruit, with size working against him in the rankings. Notre Dame, though, has shown it can get real value from linebackers built in that mold.
The traits that matter most are there: speed, instincts, toughness and the ability to play downhill. Bruno arrives with force, changes direction smoothly and does a strong job of working through traffic.
He also brings impressive length for his frame, which shows up when he’s wrecking blocks and making plays behind the line of scrimmage. In space, he moves well, processes the pass game cleanly and consistently shows up around the ball.
With Bruno on board, Notre Dame now has six commitments in its 2028 class. He joins Jernigan, Illinois defensive end Darieon Prescott, Burch, Florida safety Andre Jones and Tennessee kicker Owen Davies.
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