Notre Dame football’s recruiting roll continued Friday morning, with the Irish reconnecting with their strong Cincinnati connection.
Four-star Linebacker Ja’Kobe Clapper, out of Cincinnati St. Xavier High, became the 13th member of the 2026 ND recruiting class, verbally committing to the Irish over the likes of Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Tennessee among others.
Rivals ranks him as the No. 26 player nationally in their new “EDGE” category, which combines weakside defensive ends and outside linebacker types, and the No. 15 prospect in this cycle from Ohio.
The 6-foot-2, 218-pound Klapper (Rivals lists him at 200) is expected to play linebacker for ND defensive coordinator Chris Ash. He’s the second linebacker in the class, joining fellow four-star prospect Thomas Davis Jr. from Matthews, N.C.
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“Another great catch at linebacker for Notre Dame,” said longtime recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of the Prep Football Report. “When you watch him, he’s got that great first step, sort of like Drayk Bowen. He’ll play around 230-240 by the time he gets to Notre Dame.
“But he’s got really good instincts, and he plays for St. Xavier, which is for the last 10 years has been the best program in Cincinnati. He’s very quick to the ball, very instinctive and a very good all around athlete.”
At St. Xavier, Clapper has been the teammate of future Notre Dame defensive tackle Gordy Sulfsted, who is set to enroll at ND as a freshman in June.
The Irish are currently ranked No. 4 in the Rivals 2026 team recruiting rankings, behind only USC, Clemson and LSU. And the Irish could overtake the Tigers for the No. 3 spot Saturday when running back Javian Osborne reveals his college choice.
He has been projected to pick ND over fellow finalist Michigan.
The Irish coaching staff has long prioritized Clapper, and he’s visited four times, the most recent being March 28.
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