BREAKING: Notre Dame football lands monster O-line recruit in first coup of 2025
Things had been relatively quiet on the Notre Dame football recruiting front for the 2026 class, but the Irish made a major move on Thursday afternoon.
Tyler Merrill, one of the top offensive linemen in the class, announced his commitment to Notre Dame. Merrill had previously stated he would make his decision on January 30, and he stuck to his word, choosing Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish.
Ranked by the On3 Industry Ratings as the No. 5 interior offensive lineman and No. 81 overall prospect in the country, Merrill selected Notre Dame over other finalists Clemson, Alabama, Penn State, and Wisconsin. His decision is no surprise, considering he had visited South Bend several times throughout his recruiting process.
Notre Dame football lands top offensive line prospect in first commit of 2025
Tyler Merrill officially becomes the first commit for Notre Dame’s 2025 class, but he’s the seventh commitment overall for Marcus Freeman’s 2026 class.
The Fighting Irish have been focused on bolstering their offensive line, which will be filled with veterans when the 2025 season begins. Merrill is the third offensive lineman to commit in this cycle.
His pledge comes nearly a month after the last commitment for Notre Dame, which was also an offensive lineman—Ben Nichols.