The future of Notre Dame's defense got brighter on Friday morning when high three-star linebacker Dominik Hulak announced his pledge to the Irish. The 6-foot-3 and 235 pound athlete is listed as a linebacker by Rivals, but will play the Vyper defensive end position in Al Golden's defensive scheme.

Hulak becomes the eighth overall commit and third defensive end in a 2025 Notre Dame class that already ranked No. 3 in the nation prior to his announcement.

The Elmhurst (Ill.) IC Catholic Prep standout is an athlete in every sense of the word and likely underrated as a 5.7 three-star prospect. He checks all of the boxes when it comes to what you look for in a high upside edge defender. The future Vyper is incredibly athletic for a player at his size and you need to look no further than his ability to stretch the field as a pass catcher on offense for evidence of this.

Hulak's combination of size and athleticism give him incredible versatility on defense as he is equally capable coming off the edge to rush the passer as he is playing in space and making tackles in the open field. He is a smart defender who sees the field well, diagnoses the play early and then quickly triggers in pursuit to be a disrupter. Physicality and a motor than runs hot are two staples of Hulak's game and he brings an old school, blue collar mentality - despite being built for the modern age of college football.

Hulak is only scratching to surface of the player he will eventually become. His physical gifts plus love for the game make him a high ceiling player. I expect him to make an early impact for the Irish and don't be surprised if you see Hulak racking up accolades and playing on Sundays in just a few short years.