Notre Dame bolstered one of the nation’s top 2027 recruiting classes on Friday by securing a commitment from five-star offensive lineman Albert Simien, who announced his decision during an appearance on SportsCenter. The Lake Charles, Louisiana, standout selected the Fighting Irish over finalists Texas A&M, LSU, Nebraska and Ole Miss.
Simien, who plays at Sam Houston High School, is one of the premier offensive line prospects in the 2027 class. Recruiting services rank him among the nation’s elite, including as the No. 10 overall prospect by Rivals/On3, the No. 14 overall player and No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite, while ESPN lists him as the No. 26 overall recruit. He also earned Under Armour All-American and Polynesian Bowl All-American honors and is a multi-sport athlete.
The 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman, who is also listed at 295 pounds by some recruiting services, made multiple trips to South Bend during his recruitment. After visiting Notre Dame last October for the Irish’s 36-7 win over NC State, he returned during the contact period in January and again in March before taking his official visit on the weekend of June 19-21. That final visit turned out to be the turning point. Notre Dame gained serious momentum in his recruitment during the trip that led to his commitment just a week later.
The Fighting Irish’s coaching staff, led by head coach Marcus Freeman and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph, consistently sold the combination of elite academics, football development and overall program culture throughout Simien’s recruitment. Those factors appealed to Simien and his family as Notre Dame successfully beat out several SEC powers for one of Louisiana’s highest-rated prospects.
Simien becomes the Irish’s 21st commitment in the 2027 recruiting class and the fifth offensive lineman to join the group. He joins five-star offensive tackle Oluwasemilore Olubobola, Top-60 tackle James Halter, four-star interior lineman Richie Flanigan and tackle Jackson Hill, giving Notre Dame one of the nation’s deepest offensive line hauls.
Simien’s commitment also gives the Fighting Irish three five-star pledges in the 2027 class, alongside Olubobola and defensive lineman David Folorunsho. Before Simien’s announcement, Notre Dame ranked among the nation’s top recruiting classes. The Irish’s class score rose from 261.22 to 271.30 following his pledge, moving Notre Dame ahead of Miami and closer to Texas A&M in the race for the No. 1 recruiting class nationally, according to 247Sports.
Simien is also the Fighting Irish’s first commitment from Louisiana in the 2027 cycle and, if he signs, would become the highest-ranked offensive line pledge of Freeman’s tenure and the program’s first No. 1-ranked offensive guard addition since Rocco Spindler in the 2021 recruiting class.
Notre Dame bolstered one of the nation’s top 2027 recruiting classes on Friday by securing a commitment from five-star offensive lineman Albert Simien, who announced his decision during an appearance on SportsCenter. The Lake Charles, Louisiana, standout selected the Fighting Irish over finalists Texas A&M, LSU, Nebraska and Ole Miss.
