2025 Notre Dame OL Target Rowan Byrne Outlines Upcoming Visits

Rowan Byrne‍ won’t be at Notre Dame’s Grill & Chill event later this month, but it has nothing to do with any lack of interest from the 2025 New York offensive lineman.

“The major three schools I'm looking at right now would be Wisconsin, Michigan, and Notre Dame,” the 6-foot-6, 290-pounder says. “I'm interested in every school, but those are the three that I'm closest with right now.

“We play my games on Saturdays, which makes game day visits really difficult, which is fine. But I have two Friday games this year. I have one on (Sept.) 22nd and then Notre Dame plays Ohio State on the 23rd. I'll be at that game. Then I have one on October 27th. Ohio State plays at Wisconsin on the 28th, and I'll be at that game as well. I think those will be two great games.

“I think those will be two really great games with great atmospheres, which will be a good opportunity to see both schools live.”

So, the Iona Preparatory School star will use the open weekend at the end of this month to get to Michigan.

“I want to give all three schools an equal opportunity,” he says. “I can't go to a Michigan game, but I can go to the Ohio State game at Notre Dame.

“I think that will be a better opportunity anyways to get to see the game day experience. I think that's more important because I've already done all the visit stuff. The next step is obviously to see a game day live in action.”

Byrne’s list of scholarships is only likely to get longer, and while he isn’t ruling anybody out just yet, he’s comfortable focusing on the Irish, Badgers and Wolverines at the moment.

“When it comes down to it, it's the relationships I have with those coaches, but then also the tradition with the offensive line at all those schools,” he says. “They're also all really good schools and they're in the area I'd like to be in, more Midwest, northern area.

“So, you look at all three of those schools currently, they have great offensive line coaches and they always have great offensive line play along with a great degree and the tradition just overall in the way that they develop linemen. That's obviously a major part. That's going to get you to the school that's going to get you interested to begin with.

“And then being on those campuses, meeting with the coaches, I'm close with all of them now. That means a lot. My interest has really just grown since having visited all of those schools. I'm close with the coaches now after seeing campus. They're all really great schools. I mean, they're some of the best schools in the country.”

Byrne isn’t in a rush to make a decision though and when he makes one.

“I think around this time next year, maybe a little sooner,” he says. “I'm going to see, Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame over the next four months. Then I'm obviously going to visit a couple other schools and then take official visits.”

He expects a decision to come sometime after those official visits and plans on that choice being final.

“I don't want to flip,” he says. “I don't want to flip my commitment. I think that's a whole mess and I don't really want to do that. So, when I committed, I'm going to be committed there.”

Byrne acknowledges there being a “different dynamic” when it comes to Notre Dame.

“I said that's my dream of school because growing up, that's the school I wanted to go to, which does kind of add a little extra emotional piece to it,” he says. “There are things that are going to be more important, like where the program is actually at now, the coaches there and the relationships you have. But it definitely comes in as that's the place you grew up and wanted to be when you were growing up and that's going to matter a good amount.

“That's going to be important. That's important to me at least. When I grew up, I wanted to go there. That matters emotionally a lot.”

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