2026 OL Ben Nichols Enjoys Summer Trip to Notre Dame

2026 Davison (Mich.) offensive lineman Ben Nichols‍ has had a busy June.

The 6-foot-5, 315-pounder made a statement at the Ohio Under Armour Camp in April and backed that up at several colleges this summer, which earned him offers from Cincinnati, Iowa and Ohio State. 

“I’ve been busy traveling a lot, but usually, there has been a good reward,” Nichols told ISD. ‘I’ve liked working with a bunch of different people and seeing new places.” 

College camps are a two-way street. They allow the coaches to receive the rare in-person evaluation while allowing prospects to visit and get a feel for various coaching styles.  

“It’s huge for me,” stated Nichols. “There are so many different styles in offensive line coaching. A bunch of different programs have had success. It plays a big factor in my recruitment and I’m sure a lot of others as well.” 

What’s the one difference in offensive line coaches? Nichols believes it starts with how they go about coaching. 

“Some coaches will scream at you and kind of piss you off a little bit,” explained Nichols. “There’s also a coach who will sit down with you and he’ll get on you, but he’ll really drive into your brain and understand what he’s trying to get you to learn.” 

Notre Dame hosted Nichols for yet another visit on Tuesday, but it wasn’t for camp. Irish offensive line coach Joe Rudolph has seen enough from Nichols, so this visit focused on allowing Nichols to see how summer workouts are conducted. 

“We didn’t work out,” Nichols said. “We were going to, but we watched some of their guys work out. Hand placement was probably the No. 1 emphasis. It was a lot of pass-pro stuff and footwork, too. I saw how they do different sets, how they place their hands and different types of techniques.” 

The message from Rudolph hasn’t changed too much over the last few months. Again, Rudolph made it very clear that Notre Dame thinks highly of the four-star prospect. 

“He said they really love me and want me,” Nichols stated. “When I’m ready, they’ll be waiting. They are set to keep building the relationship and getting me back down there.” 

Nichols also spent some quality time with Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. The third-year head coach dove into what Notre Dame could do for Nichols, and explained where the program was headed. 

“His message was a little deeper,” explained Nichols. “He hammered what they have beyond football. He told me about the different stuff their players and coaches do, what they are working on, new plans for Notre Dame football and some private stuff within the offensive line room.” 

A few of Notre Dame’s offensive linemen also made a positive impression on Nichols as they shared a meal, which allowed the Michigan native to get an even better feel for the unit. 

“We actually sat down and had lunch with a couple of the guys today,” said Nichols. “They seemed like some pretty cool and funny guys. They like to mess around, but they get their work done when it’s time to be serious. I look at myself the same way.” 

The trip to Notre Dame was very different than some of his other summer visits as he had the offer in hand and had also experienced the university on past visits. 

Nichols has a solid base of knowledge of Notre Dame and Tuesday was about building on the strong relationship that’s been formed. 

“I’ve learned a lot, honestly,” Nichols stated. “It’s more about spending time and getting more comfortable with them. At the same time, I still want to keep getting information from Coach Rudolph and the other coaches.” 

And when it comes to what’s next, Nichols isn’t in a rush to form a top group or make a commitment as he plans to see what new schools enter the race. 

“I think I’m slightly starting to narrow down schools,” said Nichols. “Since coaches can legally talk to me, I’m waiting to see who reaches out and stuff like that.”

Offers: Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin

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