Notre Dame has its sights set on a top-five national recruiting class in the 2026 cycle, and the Fighting Irish are doing a stellar job on the defensive line. On Saturday, Notre Dame scored a verbal pledge from 2026 four-star defensive lineman and top-100 national prospect Elijah Golden. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound Golden, who put forth an All-American junior season for his high school program in Florida, picked the Fighting Irish over Alabama, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech. Golden told 247Sports national analyst Tom Loy that he chose Notre Dame “due to my relationship with the whole staff. They all know me and I know them. I’ve been there a lot. I love spending time with the coaches. I have a great bond with them. I feel very good about this commitment.” With the pledge by Golden, Notre Dame is up to 27 verbal commits in the 2026 class. Currently, Notre Dame’s 2026 cycle is No. 3 overall via the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. National analysts say that the Fighting Irish’s group of 2026 pledges on the def
