Overview
- Jackson Vaughn, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound edge rusher who reclassified from the 2028 to the 2027 class, publicly committed to Notre Dame on Tuesday and is listed No. 244 in the 247Sports composite.
- Vaughn said he chose Notre Dame for its elite academics, player development, culture, and the relationships he built with the coaching staff, citing alignment with the program's vision for his on- and off-field growth.
- The commitment is the program's 10th since April 1 and pushed Notre Dame to 14 blue-chip pledges this cycle, a tally that leads the country and reflects that 78% of the class are four- or five-star prospects in Rivals' industry counts.
- Recruiting coverage notes Notre Dame remains focused on adding edge rushers as a group, with four-star Aidan O’Neil already in the class and five-star Abraham Sesay described as a heavy lean to the Irish but still contested by Power Five programs.
- The addition continues a multi-cycle effort to upgrade talent under Marcus Freeman and should strengthen the program's future pass-rush depth while upcoming official visits could further shape the class.