Fontana (Calif.) Orange Lutheran four-star defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou hit the fast-forward button on his recruitment, reclassifying from the 2028 cycle up to 2027.
He’s now working towards a decision and plenty of high-profile programs are after his services. Texas A&M is in the mix, and on Tuesday, Aggies head coach Mike Elko and multiple assistants were in the Golden State to visit Fakatou:
The Aggies have myriad competition for Fakatou, but they have shown under Elko that they can recruit California well. In the 2026 cycle, A&M landed Spring Valley Mount Miguel five-star cornerback Brandon Arrington, Bellflower St. John Bosco four-star wide receiver Madden Williams and Carson Leuzinger four-star EDGE Samu Moala.
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They’ve already dipped back into the state for their 2027 class, too. Last month, Los Angeles Ingelwood four-star DL Myels Smith locked in with the SEC program. He’s one of 10 early pledges for the Aggies.
Fakatou is the No. 29 overall prospect and No. 2 DL in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 2 junior in California.
Notre Dame is currently the program trending for Fakatou, according to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine. Back in October, Rivals’ Adam Gorney and Steve Wiltfong logged picks in favor of the Fighting Irish landing his pledge. Fakatou is expected back in South Bend later this month.
“It’s definitely exciting,” Fakatou recently told Gorney. “Everyone knows how close I hold Notre Dame to my heart so to get back up there especially since my mom has never been up there will be something special for sure.”
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The likes of Oregon, Georgia, Texas, Miami and Oklahoma also figure to be contenders for Fakatou as he continues to whittle down his list of top schools.
Marcus Fakatou Scouting Summary
Rivals’ Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power previously wrote this of Fakatou as a prospect:
“Behemoth defensive lineman with eye-catching movement skills and power. Checks in at around 6-foot-7.5, 265 pounds. Should easily get to around 300 pounds with his big frame. Primarily lines up as a big defensive end for his high school to this point, but could end up sliding inside long-term. Flashes encouraging first-step quickness and has the power to forklift offensive linemen into the backfield. Turned in a productive freshman season, notching 10 tackles for loss and five sacks against strong competition.”
