ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Anderson High School 2027 cornerback Ace Alston announced Tuesday morning his verbal commitment to the University of Notre Dame.
"The culture that they have, the brotherhood that they have," Alston said. "The system that they run. Everything that Notre Dame offers, I feel like I will be a good part of it."
A four-star player by 247 Sports, Alston is ranked Ohio’s No. 2 player overall in the 2027 class by 247 Sports. He is ranked the nation’s No. 11 cornerback by the 247 Sports Composite.
Alston smiled when asked about the commitment ceremony.
"It's been surreal," Alston said. "All the support. The family, the friends. My teammates coming out supporting me. I'm just truly blessed. And I'm thanking God for giving me this opportunity to just do this in front of everybody that I love."
Alston made the announcement live on the CBS Sports College Football YouTube channel and in front of family, teammates and coaches at Anderson High School.
Alston had some fun during the ceremony including the addition of a Lucky Charms cereal with milk before picking up the Notre Dame hat.
"It was actually my Pops (Dee Alston) idea," Ace Alston said. "I wanted to do something different. I didn't want what everybody else did. So I just wanted to switch it up and show the world that Go Irish."
Alston also considered Tennessee, Ohio State, Missouri, Indiana, Louisiana State University (LSU) and the University of Southern Carolina (USC) among his finalists. Alston also previously considered Oregon, Michigan and Penn State in November.
Alston's ceremony brought national attention to Anderson on Tuesday morning.
"I would tell you from last night until today of how many phone calls, how many interviews through the phone that people want to talk about Ace Alston and our program," Anderson coach Evan Dreyer said. "It's really remarkable."
Alston is the first Anderson football player to commit to Notre Dame since offensive lineman Zeke Correll, a 2019 Anderson graduate.
Alston is a Southwest District Division II first-team selection in the secondary. The Division II all-state teams are scheduled to be announced Wednesday.
Dreyer said Alston is deserving of all the accolades and recognition.
"Anybody who puts that much time in and invests their time in and propels their program forward by bringing teammates along - it is highly encouraging what people can do in 2025 today if they put their mind to it," Dreyer said.
Alston received an invitation in October to participate in the 2026 Polynesian Bowl, which is scheduled for Jan. 16 in Honolulu, Hawaii and televised on NFL Network.
Dreyer has said Alston will be the first Anderson student-athlete to play in the Polynesian Bowl. Alston helped Anderson to its second straight Division II state final last week against Avon. Anderson completed its season as the Division II state runner-up.
Alston participated in a significant spotlight all season. He had 53 tackles, 17 pass breakups, two interceptions, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
He was targeted just 12% of coverage snaps his junior season and limited opponents to a 29% completion percentage, according to his social media post.
The NCAA’s early signing period for the current junior class is scheduled to start in early December 2026.
