Notre Dame 2026 Recruiting: Offensive Commits Board

Notre Dame is looking to land a big time offensive class in the 2026 recruiting cycle. The Irish had a quality group in 2025 but the staff wants to take things to another level with the 2026 class. 

Here are my rankings for the Notre Dame offensive class, followed by prospect bios and the upside rankings at the bottom. As new players are added to the class they will be added to this ranking.

2026 COMMITS - OFFENSE

1. OL Tyler Merrill - 6-5, 330
2. QB Noah Grubbs - 6-4, 205
3. OL Ben Nichols - 6-6, 320
4. OL Gregory Patrick - 6-5, 280
5. WR Bubba Frazier - 5-10, 175
6. WR Dylan Faison - 6-0, 170
7. OL Sullivan Garvin - 6-5, 300

COMMIT BIOS

1. TYLER MERRILL, OFFENSIVE LINE

Hometown/High School: Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Cumberland Valley
Height/Weight: 6-5, 330

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0 (Top 35 caliber prospect)

Merrill is a massive young blocker with loads of potential. He's a dominant tackle at the prep level but he projects as a guard at the next level. Merrill is an outstanding run blocker thanks to his combination of size and power. He has very heavy hands and delivers a lot of punishment in the run game. Merrill will need to reshape his body a bit, but he'll likely always be a very big (320+ pounds) blocker, and Notre Dame wants and needs that kind of beef. He plays with the demeanor and attitude you want in an offense that desires to run the ball with authority. Merrill has a good motor and he's an outstanding finisher in the run game. I'd like to see him learn to come off the ball with a bit more speed, something I think he's athletically capable of. He shows a good feel for pass protection, but that part of his game will take off once he moves inside to guard. Big time player with big time talent.

2. NOAH GRUBBS, QUARTERBACK

Hometown/High School: Lake Mary (Fla.) High School
Height/Weight: 6-4, 205

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5 (Top 75 caliber prospect)

Grubbs has prototypical size, a live arm and he's been incredibly productive so far in his high school career, passing for 8,287 yards and 103 touchdowns in just three seasons of high school football. Grubbs reshaped his body as a junior and it allowed him to be more effective moving in the pocket and he even showed the ability to run a bit more as a junior. He has a quick release and a gunslinger mentality, and he can attack down the field. As he gets older and stronger, and as he learns to drive more off his back foot you'll see him get even more zip on the football. Grubbs is a smart player but he'll force the ball a bit more than I like. I love that aggressiveness, and as he becomes a better decision maker he'll be even more impactful. Grubbs has loads of arm talent and despite being so productive he has plenty of room for growth and improvement.

3. BEN NICHOLS, OFFENSIVE LINE

Hometown/High School: Davison (Mich.) High School
Height/Weight: 6-6, 320

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 150 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5 (Top 75 caliber prospect)

Marcus Freeman has said he wants to be a line driven team, and that Notre Dame will always be a team that wants to dominate on the ground. Landing players like Nichols certainly helps keep that rolling. The Davison standout is massive (6-6, 320) and he plays with a really nasty disposition. He dominates in the run game at the prep level and that should continue in college. Nichols is a fundamentally sound lineman that plays with good pad level, fires off the ball and shows the power needed to be an elite run mover and finisher. Nichols has good length and could play both right tackle or guard at the next level, but the interior is where he projects best. Nichols shows impressive vertical quickness, but his change of direction isn't elite, which is partly why he projects to the interior. Dominant run blocker with loads of potential, this was a big pickup for the Irish.

4. GREGORY PATRICK, OFFENSIVE LINE

Hometown/High School: Portage, Mich./Northern
Height/Weight: 6-5, 280

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 250 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5 (Top 75 caliber prospect)

Patrick is an ideal fit for what Notre Dame likes with its offensive linemen. He's a versatile player that lines up at tackle in high school, and he has some solid tackle schools for the next level. But his skillset fits even better for the interior, where he could play guard or center. That kind of versatility should allow him to find a spot where he can get on the field the fastest. Patrick also has the nasty demeanor and physicality Notre Dame covets for its Inside Zone/Duo schemes, and the agility to thrive as a puller in the Gap schemes. Patrick has a lean build right now and is listed around 280 pounds. He has the kind of frame that should allow him to fill out with really good weight and get to at least 300 pounds, if not more. The all-around skillset is quite good, making this a strong pickup.

5. BUBBA FRAZIER, WIDE RECEIVER

Hometown/High School: Savannah, Ga./Benedictine Military School
Height/Weight: 5-10, 175

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 250 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)

Notre Dame wants and needs more speed and playmaking at wide receiver and Frazier certainly adds that to the class. He has both aspects of speed you want, meaning he shows an outstanding starting ability (burst off the line) but also a top notch second gear and ability to accelerate. Every time he gets the ball - whether it's catching a pass, getting a handoff or returning a kick - he's a threat to take it to the house. Frazier is more than just a gadgity, after the catch player. His lack of height and catch radius drags his grade down a bit, but he's a big time route runner and shows strong catching ability. He has a great feel for getting open, possessing the athleticism and route skill to gain immediate separation out of breaks, but also the feel for finding soft spots against zone looks. Frazier is ideally suited for the slot but also shows the route running prowess and ball skills to make an impact on the outside as well. His punt return skills are also top notch.

6. DYLAN FAISON, WIDE RECEIVER

Hometown/High School: Boca Raton (Fla.) St. Andrews School
Height/Weight: 6-0, 170

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 250 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.0 (Top 150 caliber prospect)

Like his brother, Faison is a star on the football field and the lacrosse field. Landing Faison wasn't about doing a favor to his older brother, he is a legit Power 4 wide receiver and was a good way to start 2026 receiver recruiting. Faison is an outstanding all-around athlete with impressive foot quickness and change of direction ability. These traits make him a dynamic player with the ball in his hands, which projects very well into the Notre Dame offense. He's a weapon in the screen game and if he gets the ball in space in the quick game he is a threat to make a big play, and he uses that effectively in the screen game as well. He needs a lot of technical work, but the route running potential is exciting. Faison shows good speed off the line and his deep speed is solid as well. Faison isn't a big pass catcher, but he has strong hands and battles for the football.

7. SULLIVAN GARVIN, OFFENSIVE LINE

Hometown/High School: Allegan (Mich.) High School
Height/Weight: 6-5, 300

IB Grade: 3.5 (Top 350 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5 (Top 75 caliber prospect)

Notre Dame clearly put an emphasis on landing physical blockers that play with a certain type of demeanor, and Garvin certainly fits that mold. He has good size and is already at 300 pounds, but his frame should allow him to gain at least 10-15 more pounds of good weight. Garvin comes off the line well and shows a good pop at the point of attack. He plays with a good base in pass protection and is a quality puller in the run game. Garvin does a good job moving his feet through contact and he's a strong finisher in the run game. Garvin has good length and he uses his hands quite well, and that's the best part of his game from a technical standpoint. Where Garvin needs a lot of work is with his footwork in the run game. He could potentially stay at tackle, but part of what I like about his game is that he fits at guard as well and could even be a center in the Notre Dame offense.

UPSIDE RANKING

1. OL Tyler Merrill - 5.0
2. QB Noah Grubbs - 4.5
3. OL Ben Nichols - 4.5
4. OL Sullivan Garvin - 4.5
5. OL Gregory Patrick - 4.5 
6. WR Bubba Frazier - 4.0
7. WR Dylan Faison - 4.0