Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2024 79 BY KYLE KELLY Owen Strebig won't have to visit Notre Dame as an uncommitted recruit again. Less than three weeks after his last trip to South Bend — his sixth since April — the top-125 2025 class recruit announced his verbal commitment to the Fighting Irish on Feb. 8. Strebig, a four-star offensive tackle from Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic Me- morial, pledged to the Irish over Wis- consin, Southern California, Miami and Florida State. On3's No. 111 overall player and No. 11 offensive tackle in the class, Strebig held 21 other scholar- ship offers before locking up his spot in Notre Dame's 2025 class. I n l a te Ja n u a r y, t h e 6 - fo o t -7, 295-pound Strebig privately commit- ted to the Irish, the same month Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph stopped by his high school twice, in- cluding most recently on Jan. 30. Rudolph, head coach Marcus Freeman and offensive coordinator Mike Den- brock also made the trip to the Milwau- kee area to see Strebig on Jan. 19. That was one day before On3's No. 2 player in Wisconsin returned to Notre Dame for his junior day visit. Strebig's longstanding connections with Freeman and Rudolph greatly in- fluenced his decision. "I have such a strong relationship with them," Strebig told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "I really trust what they're building. Also, on the academic side, that degree is something special. It's something that will take you far in life. I noticed that especially because I want to get into business. Notre Dame has good connections. "At Notre Dame, you get the best of both worlds. You get the books and the ball. I'm excited to be a part of that." S t re b i g i s t h e se co n d o f fe n s ive tackle in Notre Dame's 2025 class. On Dec. 21, the Irish secured the pledge of Will Black, a four-star lineman from Wallingford (Conn.) Choate Rosemary Hall. According to On3, the 6-foot-7, 285-pound Black is the No. 203 overall player, the No. 14 offensive tackle in the country and the No. 2 prospect in Con- necticut. When Strebig signs with the Irish in December, he will be just one of three players the Irish have added from Wis- consin in the internet recruiting era, which dates back to 2002. In 2022, of- fensive lineman Billy Schrauth from Fond Du Lac (Wis.) St. Mary's Springs became the first. The Irish also have a verbal commit- ment from 2025 four-star tight end James Flanigan of Green Bay (Wis.) Notre Dame de la Baie Academy, who will join Strebig on signing day. Flani- gan is On3's No. 92 overall player, No. 5 tight end nationally and No. 1 recruit in Wisconsin. Rudolph offered Strebig on March 20, 2023. From there, he visited Notre Dame for the first time on April 15. Strebig left South Bend with a message that set the stage for his recruitment. "They said I'm their No. 1 tackle," Strebig said. During the football season, Strebig attended two games each at Notre Dame and Wisconsin. He specifically saw the Irish host Ohio State on Sept. 23 and USC on Oct. 14. He then made it to Southern Cali- fornia on Nov. 19 when the Trojans hosted UCLA. Despite a fall push from USC and a winter one from Wisconsin, Notre Dame remained the top school in Strebig's recruitment. He did not wait long after his Jan. 20 junior day visit to formalize it. A return trip to Miami on Jan. 28 only clarified his decision. He also saw plenty of other programs throughout the process. Since June 2022, Strebig has visited Iowa (twice), Florida (twice), Minne- sota, Illinois, Penn State, Northwestern, Michigan, Florida State, UCF and UCLA, not to mention five other trips to Wis- consin and one each to USC and Miami. Ultimately, Notre Dame was the school that felt most like home. "Everything was getting compared to Notre Dame," Strebig said. "Hon- estly, the toughest part about it was I built such good relationships with other schools. … But Notre Dame was a better fit for me and my family." ✦ Irish Grab Third Wisconsin Commitment In Four Years COMMITMENT PROFILE OWEN STREBIG FILM ANALYSIS "Strebig is absolutely massive. He's over 6-foot-7, around 300 pounds and has plus length with 34.5-inch arms. He came on the radar in part due to his very large frame, and he's relatively filled out early in his high school career. The size and stature are readily evident when you watch his film. In addition to his physical traits, he's strong, moves fairly well in terms of foot quickness, and when he gets engaged with a defensive lineman, he creates a push and is a good run blocker. There are plenty of occasions where Strebig puts defen- sive linemen on their backs. "Some areas of improvement for Strebig are flexibility and movement skills. He tends to play high and bend at the waist. He's a very tall offensive tackle and is blocking smaller players. He'll be well served to continue to play low and work on his movement skills. That'll help him maintain his blocks and work to his benefit." — On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power Strebig, a 2025 four-star offensive tackle from Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic Memorial, visited Notre Dame six times in 10 months before committing to the Irish on Feb. 8. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY "At Notre Dame, you get the best of both worlds. You get the books and the ball. I'm excited to be a part of that." STREBIG