When you make it to the championship game of the College Football Playoff, you usually see a jump in recruiting and that is exactly what is happening for Notre Dame.
The Irish have been especially great along the lines and on Thursday landed a commitment from 2026 Pennsylvania offensive tackle Tyler Merrill. The 6-foot, 5-inch and 338-pound prospects is one of the country’s best, as he is ranked as the No. 61 overall prospect according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.
Notre Dame beat the four other finalists in Penn State, Alabama, Clemson and Wisconsinfor Merrill’s commitment. He is the No. 7 verbal in the cycle for the Irish, as he also joins Ben Nichols and Sullivan Garvin as the offensive line commits.
The Irish will most likely take at least one more player on the line, as they typically like to bring in at least 4 in every recruiting class. There is potential they’ll take a fifth as well, but expect at least one more as Notre Dame shores up its 2026 group.