Tennessee had a seat at the table for one of the class of 2027’s better linebackers, but Roman Igwebuike is headed somewhere else.
The Mount Carmel standout announced Saturday evening that he’s committed to Notre Dame, ending a recruitment that included the Vols in the final group. Tennessee made the cut, but couldn’t close.
The biggest reason Notre Dame won out? Brian Jean-Mary.
The former Tennessee linebackers coach from 2021-23, who now runs the linebacker room for the Irish, was the primary recruiter for Igwebuike. Jean-Mary left Knoxville for Michigan, then landed at Notre Dame after the coaching change in Ann Arbor this offseason, joining Marcus Freeman’s staff as run game coordinator/linebackers coach.
Igwebuike brings a national profile to South Bend. On the 247 Composite, he checks in as the No. 123 player in the country, the No. 9 linebacker and the No. 8 prospect in Illinois. He’s from Chicago and plays for Mount Carmel.
“Well-rounded linebacker that has a chance to be a linchpin in the middle for a College Football Playoff hopeful after a productive prep career outside of Chicago,” 247 director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote. “Looks the part with a muscular 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame.
Sees it well from the shelf as he reads his keys and flows to the football. Navigates busy intersections at a higher level and can slip underneath blocks.
Comfortable dropping into space and is rather effective as a spy…”
At Tennessee, the lead recruiter was linebackers coach William Inge. Igwebuike visited Knoxville multiple times, including for the Orange and White Game in April, but he never set an official visit with the Vols.
Tennessee now has 16 commitments in the 2027 class, which sits 43rd nationally on 247. Two of those pledges are linebackers - four-star Kenneth Simon II and three-star JP Peace - and both are legacies.
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The timing is notable, too, because Tennessee did not exactly overwhelm opponents in Knoxville last season and now faces a brutal home slate in SEC play. Texas, Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Kentucky are all set to come through Neyland next fall, giving the Vols a chance to prove the stadiums reputation still matches what happens on the field, even if the leagues preseason forecast has them sitting eighth. [Read more 🡒]