Things have been pretty quiet of late when it comes to the Notre Dame football team and its 2026 recruiting. However, the Irish broke the silence in a big way on Thursday afternoon.
The Blue and Gold landed a new commit and it just so happens to be one of the best offensive linemen in the 2026 class. Tyler Merrill had previously said that he was pulling the trigger on January 30 and when he followed through on his word, he picked Marcus Freeman and company.
Tabbed by the On3 Industry Ratings as the nation’s No. 5 interior offensive lineman and No. 81 prospect overall, the blue-chip Merrill chose to play for Freeman and the Notre Dame football team over his other finalists in Clemson, Alabama, Penn State and Wisconsin. That choice certainly makes a ton of sense considering that Merrill visited South Bend several times during his process.
— Tyler Merrill (@BigOak2026) November 22, 2024
Notre Dame football lands top offensive line prospect in first commit of 2025
Tyler Merrill officially becomes the first commit for the Irish in 2025. However, he’s the seventh commitment for Freeman’s 2026 class.
So far, the Fighting Irish have been working hard to replace bodies on an offensive line that is going to be packed by a ton of veterans when the 2025 season kicks off. Merrill is the third o-lineman to commit to the Blue and Gold in this cycle.
Merrill gave his pledge almost a month to the day from when the last commitment arrived for the Notre Dame football team. That commitment too, was an offensive lineman in Ben Nichols.