Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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64 MARCH 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2026 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY TYLER JAMES G rayson McKeogh doesn't have to search for a reminder of how far he's come since he entered La Salle College High School in Wyndmoor, Pa. The early enrolled Notre Dame freshman offensive tackle sees it in his reflection. "Even just waking up and looking in the mirror," McKeogh said in January, "I'm just like, 'Damn.' I'm up to [nearly] 300 pounds now and coming into high school I was barely 180." The 6-foot-7, 294-pound McKeogh made a position switch from defen- sive line after his sophomore season at La Salle and committed himself to put- ting on mass to reach his untapped po- tential. The years of dedication paid off with a commitment to Notre Dame and a five-star rating from Rivals. He had to put a lot of trust into the process while overhauling his body. "It was just staying confident and staying athletic," McKeogh said. "Put- ting on a lot of weight, there was always that scare in the back of my head. Am I going to get slower? Am I going to get less quick, less agile? But I was able to really prioritize that, and I don't think I had any drop-off at all." Even prior to committing to Notre Dame, which McKeogh did following an official visit in June, he looked up to former Irish left tackle Joe Alt. The 6-8, 322-pound Alt was a unanimous All- American at Notre Dame and became the No. 5 overall pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2024 NFL Draft. "I think he's just another bigger guy that plays with really good leverage, a very good pass protector and he's gotten a lot better in the run game," McKeogh said. "I think that's kind of where I'm at in my career. I think I've got to really improve in the run game and play with a lot better leverage." McKeogh believes he can overcome the difficulty of playing with leverage as such a tall lineman with a repeated focus on making it a natural part of his game. "The best way of fixing that is just going through drills, going through watching my film, even recording prac- tice and watching those films and all my reps and making sure I'm staying low," McKeogh said. "If not, making that a priority every day." ✦ The Making Of Grayson McKeogh McKeogh, a five-star offensive tackle, underwent a massive transformation during his high school career. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY GRAYSON MCKEOGH OFFENSIVE LINEMAN 6-7 · 294 LA SALLE COLLEGE H.S. PERKASIE, PA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪✪✪✪ 134 13 4 ✪✪✪✪✪ 7 3 1 ✪✪✪✪ 147 16 6 ✪✪✪ — 45 12 STATISTICS • Started at left tackle on a state champion La Salle offensive line that helped pave the way for its rushers to rack up 1,740 yards and 26 touchdowns on 333 carries (5.2 yards per attempt) in 2025. NOTABLE • Invited to play in the Navy All-American Bowl. • Tabbed as Pennsylvania Football Writers 6A All-State in 2025. • Named second-team 6A All-State by the PA Football Network Coaches-Select in 2025. • Earned EasternPAFootball.com first-team 6A All-State honors in 2024 and 2025. • Was first-team Philadelphia Catholic League Red Division in 2024 and 2025. RECRUITMENT • Committed to the Fighting Irish on June 18, 2025. • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January. • Chose the Irish over Penn State and Texas. • Recruited by offensive line coach Joe Rudolph. • Visited Notre Dame three times, including his official visit on June 13, 2025. 2026 PROJECTION • McKeogh is expected to redshirt. THEY SAID IT Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "McKeogh looked better and better as his senior season went on. He's such a loose, fluid mover at the position and plays against strong competition. Watching where he was from Game 1 to Game 11, he's shown steady improvement and progress, which is what you want to see for a player with limited experience at a position. "He's put on really good mass in the past year; he's holding it well and plays with more power. McKeogh is a very high upside player, and when you look at the tackle group nationally, he's maybe the most battle-tested in terms of the competition he plays, despite being new to the position. "McKeogh gives Notre Dame another really high upside offensive tackle. He has the makings of a potential first-round pick [in the NFL Draft]." Rivals national scout Cody Bellaire: "This is ex- actly how you draw up a developmental tackle prospect. The kid is 6-7-plus, nearly 280 pounds with 34-inch-plus arms and moves like a skill player. In terms of physical and athletic tools, McKeogh has it all. "You see the athletic traits pop off the screen im- mediately. The bend for his size, the foot speed to pull and work in space, and the length to attack at the point and initiate contact — he has it all. Plus, he has the willingness to want to drive and finish defenders in the run game. He lacks pop and over- all strength right now, but that will come with ease as he continues to add mass to his frame and gets into a collegiate strength and nutrition program. "This is a player who will show up to a college campus at 290-ish and looks like an absolute speci- men at 310-315 in a year. This kid is the real deal."