After a quick conversation with Al Washington one day earlier this month, 2026 Washington defensive lineman David Schwerzel got big news from Washington the next day.
“I talked to him briefly, just introducing myself and sent over my coach's number and transcripts to him,” Schwerzel told Irish Sports Daily.
“Then, he called my coach and then me and offered me. It was great.”
The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder added Notre Dame to a lengthy list of scholarship offers that also includes Washington, UCLA, Stanford, Cal, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Miami and Vanderbilt among several others.
“It was amazing,” Schwerzel said of the Irish offer. “I was ecstatic and my family was ecstatic. It was just a blessing for sure.
“Being offered by a legendary program like that, it's a blessing and with how good they did this year. I'm definitely excited about the offer and excited to definitely get down to South Bend soon.”
Schwerzel isn’t sure when that will be, but is working with Washington to line up a date. When he gets there, he’ll be looking to get a full picture of it.
“Really everything, to be honest,” he said of what he was hoping to see in South Bend. “ I've heard so much about it. One of my coaches at my high school (Mike Crotty), he actually attended Notre Dame and played for Notre Dame in the 70s, 80s, a long time ago. I'm just looking forward to seeing it all.”
Schwerzel identified a handful of schools that are recruiting him hardest.
“Right now it's UW, UCLA, Stanford, Cal, Michigan, and Notre Dame, of course,” he said.
Not surprisingly, he has visits set to five of the six, with a trip to Notre Dame expected to be locked in as well.
The O’Dea High School standout isn’t in a major rush to make a decision, but it could come relatively soon if it feels right.
“I'm looking to commit either this summer or this fall; either at the beginning of my senior campaign or before,” he said.
He has an idea of what he’s looking for in a school.
“Really just the culture. The culture that fits me, as well as being around a program that's going to develop me into the best player I want to be and help me achieve my dreams of playing in the NFL as well as a life after football family, a lifelong family that I'll be a part of for the rest of my life.”
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