“He plays with an aggressive, physical mentality": Analyst has high praise for four-star Notre Dame LB commit Kobe Clapper

Notre Dame kicked off May by landing a commitment from four-star linebacker Kobe Clapper, who chose the Irish over top programs like Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Oregon and Tennessee. Linebackers coach Max Bullough led Clapper’s recruitment in South Bend.

Clapper became Notre Dame’s 13th commit, and the Irish have since added three more. On3's Charles Power broke down what potential Clapper brings to Freeman's program, saying:

"He plays with an aggressive, physical mentality. It's a nice get for Notre Dame, and Clapper is a little slept on in terms of the high level player he is."

Clapper is the No. 30 linebacker in the 2026 class and the No. 20 recruit in Ohio, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

"Another great catch at linebacker for Notre Dame," college recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of the Prep Football Report said. "When you watch him, he’s got that great first step, sort of like Drayk Bowen.

"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," Lemming said. "He’s very quick to the ball, very instinctive and a very good all around athlete."

Clapper’s standout skill is his ability to locate the football, which is an essential trait for a linebacker. St. Xavier also uses him on the edge at times to pressure the quarterback.

Clapper helped lead St. Xavier to the Ohio Region 4 state championship game in the 2024 season. His coach, Steve Specht, praised his high "football IQ" as a standout trait.

Analyst predicts Kobe Clapper's bright potential at Notre Dame

As a junior in the 2024 season, Kobe Clapper tallied 105 tackles, 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and two pass breakups. Over the past two seasons, he amassed 195 tackles, proving the significant potential he brings to Notre Dame.

Jamie Uyeyama of Irish Sports Daily highlighted Clapper’s ability to make an early impact in South Bend, saying:

"He's someone who has the football intelligence to compete early at Notre Dame. It’s always going to be a battle for playing time at linebacker with the way the Irish have recruited the position, but Clapper has the potential to be a multi-year starter."

Besides Clapper, Notre Dame's 2026 class has four-star prospect Thomas Davis Jr. in the linebacker room.