2025 OL Jake Cook Enjoys Another Notre Dame Return

Jake Cook‍ has several Division-I scholarship offers already, but it’s clear there’s at least one more he’d love to add.

That’s one reason the 2025 Ohio offensive lineman was back at Notre Dame for another visit this weekend.

“It was awesome,” said the Westerville North High School standout, who had already made a couple trips to South Bend. “One of my favorite visits so far, definitely.

“A lot of it has to do with what I saw as far as not just on the practice field, but in the team room, in the position meetings. It's a big family aspect. That definitely was a big, big thing in my eyes today was, how all these guys are a team, a family. That was definitely a big part.”

The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder has almost a dozen offers from schools like Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Marshall, Bowling Green, Ball State, Miami-Ohio, Toldeo and UMass among others.

While in South Bend, he had the chance to speak with new Irish offensive line coach Joe Rudolph as well as head coach Marcus Freeman.

“He's a great dude,” Cook said of Rudolph. “He is probably one of my favorite o-line coaches as of right now.

“I talked with him quite a bit. His main thing was he watched my film a while ago and he said he's been seeing a lot of changes in me as far as my speed and my athleticism. He also likes that I've been sliming down a lot. He's noticed that he said and he wants me to keep working. He really wants me to get back up for the Irish Invasion camp in June.”

Cook called his chat with Freeman “awesome.”

“Honestly, it wasn't all just football,” he said. “Him and my dad both grew up in Dayton. He was just telling me to keep working and that I'm here because it's a special place and they really like me. I talked with him quite a bit. His main thing was just to keep developing.”

Cook currently trains with Eric Lichter, who was Freeman’s strength and conditioning coach as a player at Ohio State.

“We were talking about him quite a bit and he just told me, keep working with him and he'll put me on the right path,” Cook said.

“(Lichter) loves Coach Freeman. He said he'd loved me to play under him one day. That's one of my top goals right now. That'd be awesome.

Cook had already visited Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State this spring. He may go to Duke next.

He will be back at Notre Dame for Irish Invasion in June.

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