Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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30 JANUARY 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2 0 2 6 E A R L Y S I G N I N G D A Y talented cornerback prospect. He plays with great balance and rarely puts him- self in bad positions in coverage. He has the speed and length to close on receiv- ers when the ball is arriving to either break up or intercept passes. He's not afraid to come up and tackle a ball car- rier in the flat either. 13. TYLER MERRILL OL • 6-5, 330 Mechanicsburg, Pa. • Cumberland Valley It's easy to understand why Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph coveted Merrill — the No. 14 prospect in Penn- sylvania and No. 34 in- terior offensive lineman in the nation — early in Notre Dame's 2026 re- cruiting efforts. He plays offensive line like a bulldozer. He's a physically mature player with a powerful upper body and a gritty demeanor to match his frame. He should make a seamless transi- tion to offensive guard in college. Notre Dame won't need to worry about mak- ing Merrill bigger. It will just need to fine-tune his frame and develop his technique. He won Notre Dame fans over by becoming the first recruit to commit to the Irish not long after general manager Chad Bowden left for Southern Cal. 14. GREGORY PATRICK OL • 6-5, 275 Portage, Mich. • Portage Northern Patrick — the No. 1 player in Michi- gan, and the No. 10 in- terior offensive lineman and No. 139 overall pros- pect nationally — pos- sesses offensive line lin- eage. His father, Joseph Patrick, played offensive line at Michi- gan State, but the younger Patrick chose Notre Dame over the Spartans. The el- der Patrick was his son's position coach at Portage Northern, and his expertise is reflected in Gregory's game. He's a fundamentally sound and smart player with traits that could be used on the interior or at offensive tackle in college. He will have a steep learning curve in pass protection, es- pecially if he's asked to play tackle, be- cause Portage Northern ran the football so much. But the younger Patrick made sure to work on that outside of football season. 15. DEVIN FITZGERALD WR • 6-2, 205 Paradise Valley, Ariz. • Brophy Prep Fitzgerald — the No. 9 recruit in Arizona and No. 71 wide receiver in America — played the best football of his high school career as a senior at Brophy Prep. He became the team's go-to receiver with 82 catches for 1,230 yards and 15 touchdown passes. The son of legendary NFL wide re- ceiver Larry Fitzgerald grew up in the shadow of greatness, and he started to carve his own path by committing to Notre Dame. Devin's strong hands are often what get compared to his father's skill set. The younger Fitzgerald isn't a stranger to making contested catches. 16. THOMAS DAVIS JR. LB • 6-2, 218 Weddington, N.C. • Weddington Davis — the No. 21 player in North Carolina and the No. 41 linebacker in the country — also has NFL bloodlines as the son of longtime Caro- lina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis Sr. The younger Davis be- came a critical part of Notre Dame's re- cruiting class with his willingness to re- cruit others to join him. He can become a critical part of future Notre Dame's defense with his ability to command the middle of the field. He likely end up as a middle linebacker for the Irish as a player who excels at keeping the ball in front of him in tracking down running backs. But he's also been highly produc- tive at breaking up passes in high school with at least 12 passes broken up in each of his final two seasons. 17. PRESTON FRYZEL TE • 6-4, 220 Holland, Ohio • Toledo Central Catholic Ohio State was reportedly monitor- ing Fryzel — the No. 11 prospect in Ohio, and the No. 8 tight end and No. 195 overall player in the nation — during his senior season, but the Buckeyes let Notre Dame pull him out of their home state. Fryzel, who grew up a Michigan fan, quickly fell in love with a future at Notre Dame after the Irish offered late last spring. Notre Dame landed a tight end prospect who plays more like a big receiver. He'll need to develop into a more physical tight end with the Irish, but Notre Dame loves his potential to grow into the position. 18. ELIJAH GOLDEN DT • 6-4, 270 Fredericksburg, Va. Sarasota (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney Golden — the No. 28 player in Flor- ida, and No. 23 defen- sive lineman and No. 229 overall recruit in America — became the final piece of Notre Dame's recruit- ing class when he com- mitted in August. The Irish had pursued the defensive linemen who grew up in Virginia but played most of his high school career in Florida since his sophomore year. Golden is a long and strong defensive lineman who's continuing to learn how to play with better leverage. He domi- nated opposing offensive lines and was an annoyance for opposing quarter- backs and running backs. Notre Dame needs to make sure Golden maximizes his potential. 19. CHARLIE THOM OL • 6-7, 275 Darien, Conn. • Avon Old Farms The decision by Thom — the No. 1 recruit in Connecticut, and the No. 21 offensive tackle and No. 206 over- all player in the nation — to take a post-grad- uate season at Avon Old Farms allowed him to transition from tight end to offensive tackle before his college career. That move made him a much more attractive college prospect. So much so that the Irish chose to make room for Thom despite him being the sixth offensive line commitment in the class. He's big, can move well and is just scratching the surface on what he can become as an offensive tackle. He's the kind of athlete Rudolph should