2024 IL DL Eddie Tuerk Recaps Notre Dame Trip

Eddie Tuerk‍ got a chance to take in Notre Dame on Saturday and the 2024 Illinois defensive lineman will be back.

“It was fun,” the 6-foot-4, 260-pounder told Irish Sports Daily afterward. “The practice was really cool. I liked how they were hitting and how the coaches were coaching.”

The Lyons Township star had the chance to speak with Notre Dame assistant Tommy Rees during practice and again at lunch.

He also met Irish defensive line coach Al Washington.

“He was a super cool guy,” Tuerk said of Washington. “I liked how he was coaching and how he spent a lot of time developing his guys and making sure they get everything down; their hands and their hips and where their eyes are.”

And he linked up with a couple Irish staffers – Harry Hiestand and Matt Balis – who have connections with his head coach.

“I also met Coach Hiestand,” said Tuerk. “When my head coach played at Illinois, he was the o-line coach at Illinois, so that was a good connection.

“Also, their strength coach was my head coach's strength coach in high school. It was really run and nice making these connections.”

Tuerk already has offers from schools like Michigan, Northwestern, Iowa, Iowa State, Cincinnati and Tennessee among others. Rees explained the Irish will be taking their time to dig in deeper with some Midwestern prospects like Tuerk before offering, but it’s clear Notre Dame is interested.

After lunch, Tuerk and his father toured campus a bit.

“We saw the stadium and the locker room,” he said. “Everything was just super cool and nice.”

Tuerk was at Michigan and Iowa recently and will be hitting up Northwestern, Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Nebraska and possibly Tennessee in the coming weeks.

He’d also like to return to South Bend to see more.

“I think just seeing more how they operate, maybe sitting in on a meeting,” explained Tuerk. “Coach Rees said he'll be back here in April to watch us practice and lift. I'll definitely see a game next season. It's not too far from Chicago, only like an hour and a half.”

It’s early, but he already has an idea of what he’s looking for in a college.

“Academics is one thing and is there a family feel? Am I going to be taken care of and are the coaches going to be looking out for me and are my best interests and my family's best interests in their mind? Overall, will I just fit in there and will I have a good time there?”