chicago 5-star defensive lineman has notre dame ties
The depth of top level talent coming out of the Chicagoland area has been headlined by names like Quentin Burrell, Tavares Harrington, Trae Taylor and Brayden Parks, but a fast-rising defensive lineman from St. Patrick HS named David Folorunsho is ready to join the aforementioned as elite talent in the 2027 class. The 6-4, 285-pound lineman is a dominant combination of speed and power that allowed him to make a jump from unranked to being ranked 13th in the Rivals 300.
His work ethic has been the key and the Fighting Irish have two direct connections that have participated in his transformation over the last two years. His head coach at St Patrick (Chicago,IL) is former Notre Dame safety Tom Zbikowski and his trainer is former Notre Dame defensive lineman Kerry Neal.
“He’s just scratching the surface,” Neal told LL. “He doesn’t waste time, he doesn’t waste reps. I knew he had the potential when I started working with him and I’m really happy to see everything is paying off for him. When he told me Notre Dame offered, I knew how much it meant to him.”
Folorunsho has been spending the off-season doing team workout, private workouts and spending time in the boxing ring to improve his footwork, technique and hand speed. These are attributes that allow him to become better on the gridiron.
“The off-season has been going great,” Folorunsho told LL. “I’m just focusing on doing things that can make me better from last season. Team workouts, my private workouts and boxing take up most of my time outside of school.”
The Irish saw Folorunsho during the contact period as director of recruiting Carter Auman and assistant tight ends coach Harris Bivin stopped by his school, and later offered him on Feb. 6. It’s safe to say that he’s been surrounded by the Notre Dame standard and tradition, giving him an awareness that made the offer a pretty big moment in his life. Another big moment will be his chance to meet Marcus Freeman and the rest of the coaching staff during his upcoming spring visit on April 18th
“The offer meant a lot to me and my family,” Folorunsho shared. “We’re big on academics and hard work, and Notre Dame is about that and great football. It was great to have them come to my school and tell me that they liked me and wanted me to visit.
“I’m visiting on April 18th,” Folorunsho continued. “I’m looking forward to meeting Coach (Marcus) Freeman and the rest of the coaches. I always here about Notre Dame from Coach (Zbikowski) and Kerry, and now I can see things for myself.”
