People sure do have a lot to say about the Notre Dame Fighting irish right now… but they aren’t saying Marcus Freeman and his staff AREN’T recruiting well. On Tuesday, 4-Star cornerback Ace Alston gave his public commitment to Notre Dame and its 2027 recruiting class.
The 5’11” 175 pound defensive back from Anderson High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, chose the irish over a really good offer list that included the Ohio State Buckeyes, Missouri Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers, Indiana Hoosiers, michigan Wolverines, USC Trojans, and many others from all over the country.
-Instinctive defensive back with natural coverage skills that isn’t afraid to mix things up in run support and has done so while facing top Ohio-based competition.
-Impressive reaction times and short-area burst allows him to constantly break on the football and make plays at the catch point (26 PBU across junior and sophomore seasons).
-Showcases impressive hip turn and lateral quickness as both a man and zone defender. Will work to maintain leverage.
-Strikes as an open-field tackler and will fight his way through blocks to keep containment on the perimeter.
-At his best when he can keep assignments in front of him, but lack of speed markers at this stage leaves a bit of an incomplete evaluation.
-Projects as a potential starter at the Power Four level. Might not be the biggest or longest, but could thrive in a nickel role with his aggressive tendencies.
Alston is the 8th commitment for Notre Dame’s 2027 recruiting class — a class currently ranked #3 in the country according to the 247 Team Composite Rankings. The class is already HEAVY on defensive players, and depending on how the roster management of the Irish goes, they are lining up to continue to have one of the best defensive backfields in the nation for many more years to come.
