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Eli Lederman
Four -star edge Rodney DunhamESPN, Defense End No. 6 in the cycle 2026, announced its obligation to Virgin Mary On Thursday he landed with combat Irish as the highest view of the incoming recruitment class of coach Marcus Freeman.
6-Naha-4, 220 pound recruit from Charlotte, NC, Dunham is No. 57 The total view in 2026 ESPN 300. South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Duke After visits to all five schools in 2025. Dunham joined the offensive tools Tyler Merrill (Total No. 67) and outside the linebacker Thomas Davis jr. (No. 146) as the third Top 150 committing the fighting of Irish and the sixth pledge of the program in the cycle.
Together with two local programs (Duke and South Carolina) and a couple of nearby Sec Powers (Georgia and Tennessee), Notre Dame stood as regional remote finalists before he threw himself in the late stages of his recruitment this spring.
Dunham said ESPN that his late March visit to see combat Irish for the first time on the plane. This journey strengthened the school’s football tradition and academic prestige and strengthened Dunham’s connection with the defensive coach Notre Dame Al Washington. This also offered Dunham a valuable window to Freeman, the fourth coach of the program, thanks to the random meeting Dunham, that he eventually helped to seal his decision to commit.
“I talked to one of the staff members there – with someone who served food – and told me how great the leader (Freeman) is and how he presents himself in front of the players. This is the type of guy you want to lead you as a young adult and entering adulthood. It’s not just about football.”
Dunham projected as a highly upcesional prospect at another level outside the Scrimmage line and Standout Rush passages. He recorded 94 equipment (26 for loss) and 12 bags in his Sophomore and the Junior Season at Myers Park (North Carolina) High School. Dunham, an impressive jug with a fastball cleaning 90 miles per hour, no longer planned to play baseball at college after initially considering two sports track earlier in his recruitment.
The defending champion of the National Runner-Up Fight Irish closed in the 2025 series 15. If Dunham lands on academic ground in 2026, it will arrive at Notre Dame as the highest defense signal signal of the highest program from the outer linebacker Jaylene SneedESPN No. 48 Total recruitment in cycle 2022.
Dunham’s promise arrived less than a week later Ceremony (Overall No. 229). With Davis Jr.-Syn, the triple Linebacker NFL for Bowl Thomas Davis s.-So in the fold has Notre Dame during the cycle 2026 of the first class front-sevent. Three -star corner corner Chaston Smith It completes the collection of four defenders so far committed in the classroom.
Dunham joined the five -star Maryland promise Zion Eleee (Overall No. 2) and Texas A & M commit Jordan Carter (No. 59) among the earliest elite defensive ends that came out of the album in 2026.
Five -star edge JAREYLAN MCCOYformer Lsu promise, is set to return to Florida This weekend while the defensive end of the fifth evaluation Nolan Wilson It also remains on Gators radar. Ohio State and Texas are two of the latest programs that will host a five -star castle Richard Wesleywho will also take trips to Texas A&M and Tennessee next week. Visited the five -star defensive end of Jake Kruel Ocular Thursday.
They all said that seven out of the 10 most important defensive ends of ESPN in the 2026 class will remain unoccupied this spring.
