2029 TE Hank Doyle Building His Own Relationship With Notre Dame

Hank Doyle‍ has been a regular around Notre Dame for years.

The difference now is the 2029 Wisconsin tight end is returning to South Bend as a recruit the Irish are getting to know.

Doyle will be back at Notre Dame this weekend for the Irish's game against Stanford, continuing a relationship with the program that began well before his own recruitment.

“I've always been an Irish fan,” Doyle said. “I love the tradition, focus on Christ, and it's a great academic school. I usually make it to a game a year.”

There are plenty of family connections as well.

Doyle's grandfather and aunt attended Notre Dame while his uncle was a member of the Irish swim team.

“Notre Dame obviously checks a lot of boxes for me,” he said.

Already pegged as an elite national prospect, Doyle has early offers from schools like Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Purdue and Northwestern among others. 

The 6-foot-6, 215-pounder from Grafton High School in Grafton, Wis., has already had multiple opportunities to experience Notre Dame in a different capacity.

Doyle camped in South Bend this summer and caught the Irish in their opener against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field last month. This weekend will give him another opportunity to spend time around the Notre Dame staff.

“Honestly, I'm looking forward to spending time with the coaches the most,” he said. “I really enjoyed camp this summer and want to continue to build those relationships.”

As a 2029 prospect, Doyle is still in the early stages of the recruiting process, but he's already making the rounds to some of the top programs in the Midwest and beyond.

In addition to his trips to see Notre Dame, Doyle has made gameday visits to Northwestern, Iowa, Wisconsin and Ohio State this fall. After Notre Dame, his schedule includes stops at Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Indiana and Tennessee.

Doyle has plenty of time before he'll have to start seriously sorting through his options, but he already knows what he's looking for.

“I'm looking for a great football program and a great education. Having a high standard in place, with hard-working teammates and great coaches.”

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