Notre Dame trending for 2026 4-star IOL Ben Nichols

Earlier this month, Notre Dame picked up a commitment from Allegan (Mich.) three-star interior offensive lineman Sullivan Garvin. The Fighting Irish are now trending to add another lineman from the Great Lake State to their 2026 class, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

On Dec. 6, Davison (Mich.) four-star IOL Ben Nichols announced that he will make his college decision public on Dec. 24. Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Penn State and Tennessee are battling at the top for the 6-foot-5, 315-pounder.

On3 VP of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong logged a pick in the RPM in favor of the Irish landing Nichols on Monday. Notre Dame insider Kyle Kelly was the first to predict the blue-chipper to South Bend, doing so on Sept. 9.

Nichols visited the Irish for the fifth time at the beginning of September, and despite watching Marcus Freeman’s team lose in a stunning early-season upset to Northern Illinois, he’s still heavily considering the College Football Playoff contender.

“I know Notre Dame’s a better team than that,” Nichols told Blue and Gold after the visit. “Everybody has off games. … They play physical football. It’s not anything against them. It was just one of those days.” 

He’s also visited each of his other finalists this fall, in addition to Michigan State. Nichols is the No. 198 overall prospect, No. 16 IOL and No. 3 player in Michigan in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Looking at Notre Dame’s 2026 class so far

Freeman and Co. have five commits in their 2026 class, as of Dec. 16.

Boca Raton (Fla.) Saint Andrew’s three-star wide receiver Dylan Faison was the first to commit, doing so back in March. Less than three months later, he was joined by fellow Sunshine State product Noah Grubbs, a four-star quarterback out of Lake Mary. Grubbs is currently the No. 148 recruit and No. 12 QB in the cycle.

The Irish continue to recruit the state of North Carolina well, with Matthews (N.C.) Weddington four-star linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. being the latest to join the fold. The son of first-round NFL Draft pick Thomas Sr., Davis is a top-200 recruit and the No. 14 LB in the cycle.

Garvin’s commitment on Dec. 5 was the second of the month for ND, as Chattanooga (Tenn.) McCallie four-star cornerback Chaston Smith pledged on Dec. 1. Smith is the No. 17 corner in the cycle.