Notre Dame had a very successful April in terms of recruiting. They added defensive ends Ebenezer Ewetade and Rodney Dunham, offensive tackle Gregory Patrick, wide receiver Bubba Frazier, and safety Ayden Pouncey. They have now started the month of May on a high, too.
Marcus Freeman mentioned that he isn’t necessarily looking to the transfer portal for new additions—it seems he’s fancying his chances with the high school recruits. Let’s dive into what the Irish will get in four-star LB Jakobe Clapper.
Jakobe Clapper Commits to Notre Dame Over Oregon, Michigan, Ohio State
St. Xavier (OH) linebacker Jakobe Clapper has officially committed to the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame had been considered the front runner, but now the Ohio standout is officially in the Notre Dame 2026 class.
He had taken multiple trips to the school before finally making his commitment official.
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The four-star linebacker had offers from schools, including Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Boston College, Duke, and Vanderbilt.
Clapper received an offer from Notre Dame in March and has been a top target ever since. Since that offer, he has visited Notre Dame’s campus four times as he and the Irish staff tried to get familiar and build a strong connection.
In his junior year, Clapper racked up 105 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, and two breakups, earning himself a first-team All-Ohio honor.
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Clapper is the 13th player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2026 class. He joins a class that includes QB Noah Grubbs, WR Dylan Faison, and ATH Bubba Frazier.
Clapper joins Thomas Davis Jr. to give Notre Dame a pair of linebackers in the class. The Fighting Irish are still looking at linebacker targets like Talanoa Ili and Tank King to complete the group. Clapper’s commitment isn’t a shock or a surprise, but it is welcoming news for the Notre Dame faithful.
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