Why family matters in Notre Dame four-star OL target Gregory Patrick’s recruitment

This story on Notre Dame recruit Gregory Patrick originally appeared on Blue & Gold on Nov. 1. It will re-appear in the upcoming issue of the Blue & Gold Illustrated magazine. You can order your copy here.

The scoreboard was no longer relevant to Gregory Patrick. That appeared evident when the touted 6-foot-4, 280-pound offensive line recruit’s family crowded him after Portage (Mich.) Portage Northern coach Kurt Twichell finished his lengthy postgame speech.

About 15 minutes earlier on that unusually warm Oct. 11 Southwestern Michigan night, Patrick and the Huskies suffered a frustrating 23-6 loss to crosstown rival Portage Central.

Aside from a cameo appearance or two on defense, the visitors kept the top junior football recruit in the state, Patrick, and his team’s offense on the home sideline for an abnormal amount of time. Portage Central runs the flexbone veer option offense, which is effective at chewing up the clock, perhaps more than anything else.

When Patrick did get his looks at left tackle, his athleticism, strength and technique proved he was a Notre Dame football prospect prized by the Fighting Irish and 18 other Power Four programs. He paved the way for his team’s rushers to rack up big gains while keeping the Huskies’ quarterback upright.

However, once the scoreboard clock struck triple zeros, Patrick’s game and all the schools recruiting him because of it became irrelevant. His family standing beside him was most important then. The attention he gave them proved it.

Patrick did not grimace when photos were arranged for him with his grandparents, siblings and, of course, his parents. There was a group photo, too. He also did not shy away from answering their questions about the game. After all, he gets them from almost everyone regularly about his recruitment.

Even at this stage of his football career, Patrick knows how to handle the attention. And when it comes from his family, he welcomes it. The parallels run true when it comes to his recruitment, too. 

What role Gregory Patrick’s family football bloodlines play in his recruitment 

Few high school football players nationwide are as coveted as Patrick.

According to On3’s rankings, Patrick is the No. 1 prospect in Michigan, and the No. 7 interior offensive lineman and the No. 9 overall player nationally in the 2026 class.

On April 20, 2023, Central Michigan was the first school to offer him — six days after Notre Dame welcomed him on campus as an unoffered prospect for an unofficial visit for the first time.

Since then, 22 others have entered the mix, including the Irish, Alabama, Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Penn State and Wisconsin. Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph formally offered Patrick during the program’s St. Patrick’s Day-themed Pot of Gold Day recruiting event March 17.

To this point, he has tried to see most of the schools, too.

Patrick has reported about 30 unofficial college recruiting visits between nine schools. The in-state Spartans have hosted him at least nine times. Before his college football recruitment officially began, Patrick was already making trips to East Lansing, Mich.

His dad, Joseph Patrick, played for Michigan State in the early 2000s. Gregory wasn’t around yet. However, he has learned plenty about his father’s football career growing up. As for the overlap between their respective recruitments, there isn’t much besides them both coming from Michigan (Joseph is from Ithaca) and being coveted by the Spartans.

Still, just because Joseph played for Michigan State doesn’t mean he has influenced Patrick’s decision to go that route.

“He definitely gives me advice on this stuff, but it’s not like he’s trying to push me to one school or another,” Patrick told Blue & Gold. “He’s very, very open about anything. I mean, he played at Michigan State, but he’ll go to Michigan and Notre Dame with me.

“He’s definitely helped guide me through the process. I’m extremely grateful he went through that experience because he has knowledge and helped me with some of that stuff.”

Patrick’s father is not the only one in the family to have played college football. His uncle, Chris Patrick, was a two-year letter-winner on the Nebraska offensive line in the early 2000s. So, Gregory grew up attending Michigan State and Cornhusker games.

But when Patrick returns to East Lansing or Lincoln on recruiting visits now, he isn’t thinking about following in his father’s or uncle’s footsteps. Rather, he is considering how playing for those schools could benefit him.

“You don’t really want to look through those lenses at all,” he said. “Feelings should have a little bit of a role in your decision, but it is an opportunity and a business in the end.” 

Patrick prioritizes more than just playing football in college 

When Patrick said it is an “opportunity and a business” in the end, he didn’t mean to an end. As much as he loves football, his education is equally, if not more, important. That’s where his mother and grandmother’s mentorship comes into play.

His mother majored in chemical engineering at Michigan State, and her scientific expertise has inspired Patrick’s professional interests. He is curious about pursuing a career in chemistry specializing in nutrition.

“Obviously, I’m really big into food if you looked at me,” Patrick said jokingly.

But he knows the opportunity to play college football on scholarship is far from a joke. It means having a head start on life after it, whenever that comes to an end.

“I’m not going to be one of those guys who wants to float through college,” Patrick said. “It’s definitely something that I see as a business part. I get this free opportunity to make myself a little bit smarter and value myself in the work field. So, I’m going to approach it to the fullest degree.”

Even if Patrick tried to break character and only focus on football, his grandmother wouldn’t let him. She is a former teacher, and her guidance has been beneficial in helping him navigate the academic pages of college websites.

For example, he has found that Michigan and Michigan State offer more variety in the science field than Notre Dame. Still, Patrick is more concerned about what career and college fits him best over an assortment of academic options.

“I’ve seen at whatever school I choose, I’ve found something that I would fit best in,” he said.
On July 29, Patrick narrowed down his options to nine schools: Alabama, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State and Wisconsin.

However, in the first four weeks of the college football season, he only visited the three schools he’s already seen most frequently: Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame. Each one is no more than 100 miles from his high school. Penn State was the exception when he returned to State College, Pa., on a game-day visit Nov. 9.

The Irish specifically have his attention for a few reasons. During his trips to South Bend, Patrick has discovered that Notre Dame’s identity is “more than football.” Of course, the Irish have the football part covered, too, with Rudolph being among the nation’s best developers of offensive line talent. The coaching staff has reflected that in their pitch, which has hit close to home for Patrick.

“What’s important to them is what’s important to me,” he said. “They’re an extremely competitive program with everyone in the country. They win at a pretty high level. That’s a pretty big part of it.

“Coach Rudolph is a very personable guy. We connect on a personal level.”

Considering the way Patrick values his family, it is far from a surprise that three of the four schools he is fixated on are within a two-hour drive of him. Because once the game is over, he wants to be more than just football to his family.

“Proximity to home is pretty important to me,” Patrick said. “I do want to see my younger siblings a little bit more.”

It’s now up to Patrick to decide which school offers the best opportunity. And he can expect his family to have somewhat of a say.