On300 four-star OL Gregory Patrick commits to Notre Dame

After his April 4 visit to Notre Dame, four-star offensive lineman Gregory Patrick from Portage (Mich.) Portage Northern told Blue & Gold that the outcome of his college football recruitment was becoming clearer. On Sunday, he revealed his decision.

Patrick, the country’s No. 10 interior offensive lineman and No. 164 overall player in the 2026 class per the On3 Industry Ranking, announced his verbal commitment to the Fighting Irish. The 6-foot-4½, 280-pounder informed the coaching staff of his choice during a private trip to campus on Friday. 

“The people there is what it really came down to,” Patrick told Blue & Gold before Sunday’s declaration. “The people are the culture, and culture was the most important thing in my decision.”

Patrick, also the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 2 player in the Great Lake State, chose Notre Dame after visiting Michigan and Michigan State earlier this spring. He held scholarship offers from 16 other Power Four programs, including Penn State, which also finished as a finalist in his recruitment.

However, Patrick’s first trip to South Bend this year sealed the deal. He had reported six other unofficial visits to Notre Dame since emerging on Joe Rudolph’s radar two years ago. The third-year Irish offensive line coach’s pedigree and persistence since then eventually paid off with Patrick’s pledge. He will start his career as an offensive tackle when he arrives on campus next year. 

“(Rudolph) talks about how he has never taken a guy out of the (transfer) portal in his whole career, ” Patrick said. “That’s not something you really think about at first. But then you think about it more and realize that is the ultimate trust level. Programs say they only like to supplement from the portal by using it when they need it. 

“That goes to show how much Coach Rudolph trusts his guys. He’s never going to take one and never has. That shows how much he trusts in himself to develop his own players. He takes that upon himself.” 

Patrick will team up with two other Michigan offensive linemen at Notre Dame 

Patrick is the 10th player — and fourth offensive lineman — to pick the Irish in the 2026 cycle. On the commit list, he joins fellow Michigan products, Davison High four-star Ben Nichols and Allegan High three-star Sullivan Garvin. They are the On3 Industry Ranking’s Nos. 20 and 32 interior offensive linemen in the country and Nos. 4 and 8 recruits in Michigan, respectively.

Nichols and Garvin’s presence in Patrick’s recruitment played a big part in his decision to declare to Notre Dame. So did Tyler Merrill, another Irish four-star offensive line commit out of Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Cumberland Valley. He’s the No. 115 overall player and No. 5 OL in the class.

“Notre Dame is just not going to take anybody because they’re really good,” Patrick said. “They don’t recruit some really good players because of personality or academics. So, seeing the type of guys they bring in — they say it, and then they really do it.

“Guys like Sully, Ben and Tyler are successful outside of football. Those guys being there really convinces you that this is real. It’s not something they just say. It’s legit.” 

Patrick also felt that after spending time with Notre Dame O-linemen senior Aamil Wagner, sophomore Anthonie Knapp and freshman Owen Strebig during his April 4 visit. 

“When you really get down to it, talking to the guys and the coaches, you realize how much culture drives their program,” Patrick said. “Coach (Marcus) Freeman gives the model, but the players are the people that elevate it.” 

So, Patrick had his mind made up after visiting Notre Dame and Michigan on back-to-back days. Now, the Portage Northern product will play his college football in South Bend. 

“Obviously, Coach Freeman is a great guy — like the best head coach right now in college football — but just getting to talk to those guys and the relationships I’ve built, I kind of knew after (April 4) this was the place I wanted to be.”