Olges Enjoys Third Trip To Notre Dame

2019 tight end Duke Olges‍ is no stranger to Notre Dame but the 6-foot-5, 240-pounder wanted to make the trip to South Bend to see game day on Saturday. The three-star prospect definitely didn’t leave disappointed as Notre Dame cruised 52-17 over Miami. 

“It was a great visit,” Olges told Irish Sports Daily. “It was my third time back for football. I took a visit in the spring with my 7-on-7 team and then for Irish Invasion too. It was great to be back. I love the facilities, and they are just amazing. I had a fun time throughout the entire day.” 

The game day environment is special in South Bend, and Olges took it all in. The people and the atmosphere in the stadium made it a memorable day for the New Trier (Ill.) standout. 

“I really saw how many people Notre Dame draws in each Saturday and how exciting it was on game day compared to some other schools I have seen games at,” stated Olges. “There is just a difference in energy, and everyone wants to be there. It’s just a great overall experience. It’s a completely different atmosphere than a lot of other schools. 

“My favorite part was just getting down on the field before the game to just watch warmups. It was cool to see them work and how elite all of them are in person. It’s a completely different experience than watching it 50 rows back in the stands.” 

Olges plays tight end and defensive end for his high school. The Irish see him as a tight end at this point and Olges is open to playing either spot at the next level. 

“At Irish Invasion, I was working at tight end,” Olges said. “They haven’t gotten too specific about it. I haven’t really talked to them about playing defensive end. There are schools like Northwestern that are really looking at me at defensive end. Stanford is looking at me at tight end. 

“I can play either position, and it’s not too important to me. I want to find the best fit for me. When it gets closer to making a decision, then it will be more based on where I fit in best.” 

The Illinois native also got to speak with members of the coaching staff on Saturday afternoon. Olges got a chance to reconnect with his area recruiter and got some words of encouragement as he heads into the final weeks of his season.

“I spoke with Coach (Brian) Polian,” Olges said. “He recruits out of Chicago. I talked to him in the spring and Irish Invasion. I caught up with him yesterday and I talked to Coach (Jeff) Quinn too. 

“They told me to keep working hard and to keep putting out good film. We’ll see what happens after the season. I have three games left and then playoffs, so I am going to put out my best film for the remainder of the season.”

Up next for Olges will be some important visits to programs around the Midwest. 

“I am looking at visiting a lot of Big Ten schools this fall,” explained Olges. “I am going to visit Illinois, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Northwestern. Those are some of the main schools other than Notre Dame that have been heavily interested. 

“I am also looking at a few Ivy League schools. Purdue has reached out a little bit too. I’ve been talking to Penn State and mostly Big Ten schools. Hopefully, I can expand that more after putting some good game film.” 

On the visits, Olges is paying close attention to life as a football player, but he is also making sure he gets a great feel for the academic opportunities at each program.  

“Academics is the biggest thing for me,” said Olges. “I want to find the best school that can create a great mix of football and academics. I think Notre Dame fits those requirements perfectly. They are a top 15 college in the country, and they are a top football program too. 

“Those two things together make a great fit.”