2026 OL Commit Tyler Merrill Planning A Couple Notre Dame Returns

Tyler Merrill‍ doesn’t have them locked in 100 percent just yet, but the 2026 Notre Dame offensive line commit is preparing for two trips back to South Bend, once for a spring practice later this month and again for next month’s spring game. 

The Pennsylvania native is hoping to make it for the spring practice along with his fellow offensive line commits Sullivan Garvin‍ and Ben Nichols‍.

“I think we're all planning on going on the 26th together,” Merrill says. “That's the plan we have now, but it could change in the future because we don't have anything booked or anything like that.

“It'll be good. I think I connected with both on the Junior Day. I think just continuing to be with them as much as possible is going to be important. It'll give me two people to lean on and go through this process together. It's going to start changing here pretty soon once I start getting on campus and I'll be there (next) January.”

Merrill announced his verbal commitment to the Irish shortly after that Junior Day trip in January and he’s looking forward to a new phase of the recruiting process as a Notre Dame commit.

“It's definitely going to be a different chapter in my story for sure,” he says. “I feel like just diving right into it and failing quick is the best way to get comfortable. It's like being a freshman in high school all over again. Really just preparing to be the new guy is I think the next step here as far as my college career goes. This summer, I definitely want to still be in touch with all my guys and whatnot, but focus on my senior year and just make sure everything goes smoothly and I have a good senior year and just kind of preparing myself to be able to be comfortable.

“I talked to Coach (Joe) Rudolph the other day. We were just talking about how the guys are having their spring break coming up here pretty soon, so we talked about stuff like that, just learning more of the smaller things. What time do guys normally go to class? Do guys live on campus or off campus? Stuff like that. I feel like those questions will be answered more throughout the year as I get closer to the time I'll be there.”

Merrill has a couple top targets from his own state who he’s working on to join him in South Bend.

“I'm really trying to get Joey O'Brien on the train and Messiah Mickens. I feel like those two guys could both be great additions to Notre Dame and I feel like they would definitely fit into a place like this.”

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