Notre Dame beats out teams from SEC, ACC for 4-star 2026 DL
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Notre Dame earned a victory over the SEC and ACC on the recruiting trail and beefed up its defensive line for 2026 at the same time.
Virginia product Elijah Golden committed to play at Notre Dame next season, telling On3 on Saturday afternoon of his intentions. The 6-foot-4, 272-pounder picked the Fighting Irish over SEC powerhouses Alabama and Oklahoma, and the 4-star stud also considered Virginia Tech.
Golden has traveled a winding road during his high school football career. He spent his freshman season in his home state of Virginia at King George before transferring to IMG Academy in Sarasota, Fla. Then Golden stayed in the area when transferring to Sarasota’s Cardinal Mooney.
He ultimately decided the SEC and ACC weren’t for him in choosing Notre Dame, and he also decided not to return to Virginia by playing for the Hokies.
Golden wrote “All praise to God” on a social media post, which included a prayer emoji and, naturally, a shamrock emoji to signify his loyalty to Notre Dame.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Golden is the 162nd-ranked player in the Class of 2026. He is also the 23rd-ranked defensive lineman and the 21st-ranked player from the state of Florida, according to the rankings.
Golden’s commitment gives Notre Dame 27 hard commits in its 2026 recruiting class. Right now, Notre Dame’s 2026 class is ranked 3rd in the composite rankings, only trailing No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 USC.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
