On300 EDGE Darren Ikinnagbon includes Notre Dame in his Top 8
Notre Dame football is still in the running for one of its top EDGE targets in the 2025 cycle. Four-star recruit Darren Ikinnagbon revealed a Top 8 schools list on Wednesday. He included Notre Dame, Duke, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Rutgers and Tennessee.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder from Hillside (N.J.) High has 25 total offers. Boston College, Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa State, Maryland, Miami, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Southern California, Syracuse, Texas A&M and West Virginia did not make his cut.
Ikinnagbon is the No. 241 overall player, No. 19 EDGE and No. 7 prospect in New Jersey, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.
Notre Dame defensive line coach Al Washington offered Ikinnagbon on Dec. 11. Following their conversation, the Irish immediately stood out.
“He was just talking about life and what I could get from going to Notre Dame for an engineering degree,” Ikinnagbon told Blue & Gold on Dec. 13. “He was asking what I wanted to major in. It just went good.”
The Irish furthered their interest in Ikinnagbon by sending coach Marcus Freeman and cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens to his school Jan. 30. Their trip to Hillside High went so well that Ikinnagbon told Blue & Gold he planned to visit Notre Dame in March.
So far, Ikinnagbon has reported three visits to Penn State, two to Rutgers and one each to Syracuse and Georgia. The Orange did not make his top eight. At the present time, Georgia, Penn State and Rutgers do not have an EDGE rusher committed in the 2025 cycle.
As a junior, Ikinnagbon had 55 tackles, 13 for loss, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He produced those totals in nine games, which helped the Hillside Comets secure a 6-3 record.
Of Notre Dame’s 15 commits in 2025, it has one EDGE rusher in Christopher Burgess. The 6-4, 230-pounder from Chicago Simeon is a four-star prospect. The On3 Industry Ranking considers the No. 126 overall player, No. 9 EDGE and No. 5 recruit in Illinois in the 2025 cycle.
From 2018-23, the Irish signed 11 recruits from New Jersey, including at least one every year. Irvington (N.J.) High four-star safety Adon Shuler was the last in 2023. Current Irish players quarterback Steve Angeli, tight end Kevin Bauman, defensive lineman Howard Cross III and defensive back Clarence Lewis are from The Garden State.
