4-star C Tommy Ahneman commits to Notre Dame

Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry continues his build of a strong 2025 recruiting class, this time coming with the commitment of four-star center Tommy Ahneman.

The 6-foot-10 senior out of Cretin Derham Hall (MN) chose the Fighting Irish over Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.

Ahneman, a native of North Dakota, joins Notre Dame’s No. 4 ranked recruiting class nationally in five-star SF Jalen Haralson (No. 13 nationally), four-star SF Ryder Frost (No. 83), four-star PF Brady Koehler (No. 92 overall).

According to On3’s Top-150 Player Rankings, Ahneman is the No. 58 overall prospect in the 2025 cycle. He’s also the No. 8 center prospect.

Ahneman on his commitment to Notre Dame

Tommy Ahneman went in-depth on his decision to choose Notre Dame with On3.

“I chose Notre Dame because of what they have — a great atmosphere, great people, and a great recruiting class that I now get to be a part of.”

What led to his trust in coach Shrewsberry?

“Talking to Shrews, I learned a lot about the game and about Notre Dame. When sitting in during practice, (I noticed) how he pushed sharing the ball and making the right play, and they used the pick and roll perfectly which is where I’m the most comfortable. And he has the formula to get me where I want to go.”

In his own words, what type of player is Notre Dame getting in Tommy Ahneman?

“My style of play is very low block and pick and roll heavy and being a lob threat that can pass and pop and knock down threes.”

He has a message for Notre Dame fans.

“Notre Dame, I’m coming to win the whole the damn thing.”

This past high school season, Ahneman won North Dakota Gatorade State Player of the Year while playing with his now former high school, West Fargo. This AAU season playing with Howard Pulley on the EYCL Circuit (the Nike EYBL secondary league), he averaged 20.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

On3’s Jamie Shaw talks Ahneman’s game

On3 National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw did a deep dive on Tommy Ahneman’s game:

Already standing 6-foot-11 and weighing 235 pounds, Tommy Ahneman looks the part. He has good length with wide-set shoulders that allow one to think that he should be able to continue adding good weight without losing much mobility or athleticism.

Where Ahneman excels is with his post work on the block. He is equipped with excellent footwork and an innate feel for angles. He sets up a wide target on his spot on the block and then feels the defender to counter which direction he goes. Ahneman has a couple of go-to moves on the block and he also has a counter for each.

Ahneman has soft, passer-friendly hands, and he has touch over both shoulders. He can absorb contact and finish the play. While his footwork, size, and body control allow for a lot of clean looks on the block, he is an adept passer, able to make the simple reads out of the post.

While Ahneman is as good of a low-block scorer as I have evaluated over the past five or so recruiting cycles, he does not do much outside of 15 feet. He has touch, so extending his range will be something to key in as he continues to develop and progress his game. Also, continuing to work on his lateral quickness and stamina. The 6-foot-11 post has a good straight-line burst. When he loads his feet he can finish through contact and over would-be defenders. Continuing to work on his hip flexibility and defensive footwork will go a long way with him.

With that said, there are simply not a lot of players over the last few recruiting cycles, that you can set up on the block, feed an entry pass, and be confident they can get a bucket. Tommy Ahneman is that guy.