For 2026 OL Tyler Merrill, Notre Dame Commitment Came Down To The People
Tyler Merrill had a plan for his recruiting process and the 2026 Pennsylvania offensive lineman followed it.
“I've seen a lot of places,” Merrill tells Irish Sports Daily. “That was kind of my goal for my recruitment; to really see everything and pick the place that I felt like I fit in the best.”
And in the end, the Cumberland Valley star picked Notre Dame, committing to the Irish last week over offers from schools like Penn State, Wisconsin, Alabama and Clemson among several others.
“It was really just about the people,” Merrill continues. “Every place has great facilities, big fan bases, huge stadiums. Some schools like to say that they have the biggest stadium and whatnot and greatest show in football. I think that's all cool and whatnot.
“But at the end of the day, what matters to me most is the people who are going to help me build me up and reach my highest potential. I felt like the people at Notre Dame really emphasized that the most and how they will develop me as a person, as a player, and as a student as well. So all those values kind of aligned with me.”
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph played major roles throughout the process, but Merrill’s evaluation went far deeper.
“Obviously those are great people, definitely influences on my recruitment, but there are lots of Coach Freemans at Notre Dame, there are lots of Coach Rudolphs, if that makes any sense,” says Merrill. “As far as people go, everyone there really cares about you and they care about each other as well.
“If you want to go to a place and be successful, I feel like there's no better place. Obviously a winning program as well, but at the end of the day, winning is a culture and you've got to build that culture. I think that place is definitely special and has that type of material to be able to obviously make it to the National Championship. I want to be a part of that team that wins it.”
Merrill doesn’t believe it’s a coincidence that so many like-minded people are in South Bend.
“Coach Freeman and previous coaches have really set a standard,” he says. “Not everyone gets to go to Notre Dame, which I think is really cool. It's a certain type of people, and I feel like that's the tradition they've kept and that's why they've been successful for so long.
“Obviously, there are years where it's not going to work out that well, but that's for every program. I think this recent year and future years to come, I think it's going to show why Notre Dame picks the people they do to be coaches and be players. I think in this new era of college football, I think that's the most important thing, having a personal integrity and being more than just a value.”
Just days after announcing his commitment, Freeman, Rudolph and defensive backs coach Mike Mickens made the trip to see Merrill at his school.
“It was pretty cool. All my teammates were hyped and I obviously got to see Coach Freeman and Coach Rudolph again. It was great seeing them and getting excited because those will be my guys for the next couple of years. It's definitely not a short trip from South Bend, I think Coach Freeman was in Texas before, but it meant a lot for him to pop up and show me some love up here in PA.”
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