Rivals300 four-star OL James Halter commits to Notre Dame football

Notre Dame football has secured a commitment in the 2027 recruiting class from an offensive lineman who fits the program’s criteria perfectly.

Over the last several recruiting cycles, the Fighting Irish have prioritized athletes who have bulked up and become offensive linemen. On Wednesday, they added their latest one when Pittsburgh Central Catholic four-star prospect James Halter announced his pledge to Notre Dame.

The 6-foot-5, 268-pound Halter privately informed the Irish coaching staff of his decision on Saturday while he was on campus for the USC game. He’s the fifth prospect on the 2027 class commit list, choosing Notre Dame over Penn State, Ohio State, North Carolina and 15 other Power Four programs. 

“The culture there is just really special,” Halter told Blue & Gold, explaining why he wanted to commit to the Irish. “They develop their O-linemen, and a Notre Dame’s degree is no joke.” 

Halter’s journey to becoming a Notre Dame commit is nothing short of remarkable. A year ago, he played tight end for the varsity team Friday nights, and then on the junior varsity team for extra reps. On Monday, he debuted in the Rivals300 as the nation’s No. 154 overall player, No. 8 interior offensive lineman nationally and No. 7 prospect in Pennsylvania in the 2027 class. 

Midway through his junior season, Halter fits the mold of several Notre Dame offensive linemen, such as former left tackle Joe Alt and current Irish starters Aamil Wagner and Guerby Lambert. Like Halter, they all followed unique paths to playing offensive line. Alt began his high school career as a tight end, Wagner was a wide receiver, and Lambert played soccer. 

Then, in the 2026 cycle, Notre Dame offensive tackle commits Grayson McKeogh and Charlie Thom both played defensive line before switching positions. In 2025, Will Black was considered one of the most dynamic players in his class. Wagner, Lambert, Black and McKeogh’s athleticism has especially paid off, as evidenced by their five-star status in Rivals’ rankings. 

Inside James Halter’s Notre Dame commitment journey

Halter is a late bloomer, too, because he only began playing football as a freshman. His fast track, however, to becoming one of the top offensive linemen in America is because he participated in the Joe Moore O-line camp the last three years. There, he had the chance to learn from former NFL OL coaches Andy Heck, a Notre Dame graduate, Russ Grimm and Tony Wise. 

Moore was a legendary offensive line coach for the Irish from 1988-1996. One of his players was James’ father, Jordan Halter, who played for the Irish from 1989-93. From James’ experience participating in the Moore camps and Notre Dame’s Irish Invasion camp last June, he has seen Moore’s teaching points come to life when working with Irish offensive line coach Joe Rudolph. 

“They teach bringing your knees once you engage on blocks and accelerating on contact,” the younger Halter said. “(Rudolph) has a lot of (Moore’s fundamentals) incorporated into the way he teaches it.” 

Halter has known Rudolph since his sophomore year by going on a recruiting visit to Notre Dame for the Blue-Gold Game on April 12. Rudolph then evaluated him at Pittsburgh Central Catholic later in the spring and then again at Irish Invasion. 

On Sept. 13, Rudolph offered Halter a scholarship when he was back on campus for the Texas A&M game. They’ve remained in regular contact in the meantime and built a comfortable connection. Halter’s decision to play for Notre Dame is even more exciting since he has the chance to play for Rudolph, who is also from Pennsylvania. 

“I really like him as a person and the way he coaches offensive line,” Halter said. “The way he teaches offensive line, he teaches fundamentals, but he makes it simple as well.” 

Deep Notre Dame ties shape Halter’s decision

Halter is the second Notre Dame legacy recruit to join the 2027 class commit list. The other is four-star defensive lineman Richie Flanigan (Green Bay, Wis.), the son of former Irish defensive lineman Jim Flanigan. 

The older Flanigan played for Notre Dame from 1990-93, four of the five years Jordan Halter was in South Bend. Because of that connection, James and Richie have become close friends, even before they started the recruiting process.

Another key figure in Halter’s life is former Notre Dame tight end Mike Brennan (1986-89). Brennan was the Jordan Faison of his era, playing lacrosse at Notre Dame and then walking on to play football — eventually becoming a captain. He has mentored Halter’s brother, Miles Halter, a sophomore lacrosse player at Loyola University Maryland. 

“(Brennan’s) been awesome for us,” James said. “He helps my brother out with lacrosse, too.” 

Halter was on campus with his brother, Miles, when he made the decision to play football for the Irish. All his connections to the university ultimately made his decision an easy one. 

“There was really nothing else I was waiting for,” he said. “At this point, I just kind of want to focus on my high school team — getting better and playing better each week.” 

Postseason play for Pittsburgh Central Catholic will begin in less than two weeks, making Halter’s decision a timely one. The Irish are in the middle of their own “playoff race,” too, as they look to run the table and earn a bid to the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive season. Halter is not counting them out.

“I think it’s hard with the two initial losses, but they lost to two good teams,” he said. “So I think there’s definitely a chance that they get in the playoffs.”