2026 Notre Dame TE Target Gavin Mueller Talks Grill And Chill
Gavin Mueller probably had a pretty good idea that Notre Dame was serious about him after his performance at last month’s Irish Invasion.
But following his return to South Bend for Thursday’s Grill And Chill, the 2026 Illinois tight end knows for sure how interested Notre Dame is in him.
The 6-foot-6, 240-pounder will be returning to the gridiron this fall for the first time since middle school. His preparations have led to him participating in workouts and camps in front of some of the top college coaches in the land.
His performance at Irish Invasion led to his invite to Thursday’s event, which led to a conversation with Notre Dame tight ends coach/offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock.
“He really likes me,” Mueller said of Denbrock. “They can't offer me because I don't have any film. Hopefully, after one or two good couple weeks of film they'll be able to offer me. He really likes me and he doesn't want it to discourage me that they haven't offered me yet because it's definitely going to be in their plans.
“It kind of gives me more confidence that they have confidence in me.”
Mueller enjoyed all of Thursday’s festivities.
“It was awesome,” the St. Francis High School standout said. “It was super fun. They did it really well.
“We did a lot of activities. It kind of reminded me of elementary school field day where you do a lot of different games to just have fun. It was really just to build relationships with the guys and the coaches. I had a great time. I met a lot of cool guys, a lot of commits too, who are really great, who I could see myself playing with for sure.”
Mueller had the chance to speak with 2026 Irish quarterback commit Noah Grubbs.
“He's a great kid,” Mueller said.
He also spent time with 2025 Irish tight end commit James Flanigan.
“I was talking to him a lot,” he said. “He's obviously a tight end too and was going through a lot of the same stuff as me.”
In addition to Denbrock, Mueller had the opportunity to speak with head coach Marcus Freeman as well.
“He said he was going to actually come watch one of my games, which will be awesome; no pressure, right?” Mueller joked.
“He's just a super down to earth guy. We just had a normal conversation and super personal. My mom had a conversation with him too, and she said he was super personal and just a great guy.”
Mueller already has offers from schools like Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Cincinnati, Purdue, Minnesota and Florida among others. Even though they haven’t offered yet, the Irish clearly have his attention.
“They're definitely a great school and they're definitely going to be high on my list for a while, especially if they can offer me after a couple of games,” he said. “They're definitely going to be a top place for me just because I mean everything about it is great.
“The facilities are great, the school's great, the religious aspect is great. So all great things.”
Mueller visits Wisconsin on Saturday and heads to Florida on Wednesday.
He’s planning to be back in South Bend this fall.
“I'm not sure which one yet, but I'm definitely going to be down there for a game.”
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