Elite offensive lineman Tyler Merrill reflects on Notre Dame commitment
Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Cumberland Valley class of 2026 interior offensive lineman Tyler Merrill announced his commitment to Notre Dame Jan. 30 and hasn’t looked back. The four-star prospect is rock solid with his Fighting Irish pledge and has been active in recruiting others to join him in South Bend.
Merrill’s announcement came five days after he visited campus for the staff’s annual junior day recruiting event. And he committed privately to offensive line coach Joe Rudolph and Co. while on campus for the visit.
What led him to his commitment? After a few weeks of reflection, Merrill went in depth about his decision.
“I always used Notre Dame as a measuring tool to decide If I liked another school or not,” said Merrill, who had offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Texas A&M and others. “I compared every place to Notre Dame. That told me that it was a place I gravitated towards. And I started realizing that I was trying to find a reason not to choose Notre Dame.
“I wondered if there was something else out there that would amaze me and shatter my world. I didn’t realize that I had already been to that place, and it was Notre Dame. Subconsciously, I had already knew already after my first couple visits, and I was trying to find an excuse not to pick Notre Dame. The process is tough at times and you build great relationships, but deep down, I knew other places couldn’t compare to Notre Dame.
“I had a great visit, and it was purely about the people and community. It was awesome. I had to be honest with myself; there’s no other place I wanted to be.”
Going into the January visit, committing wasn’t necessarily on Merrill’s mind. It just all clicked for him during the trip.
“I wasn’t sure on the way there,” he added. “It was more of a gut feeling. It felt like it was the right place. I’m really happy when I’m there and I feel like I can trust those guys. That’s the culture that Coach [Marcus] Freeman has built there and is continuing to build.”
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Merrill told Rudolph of his decision later in the day — prior to the recruits going to the Notre Dame hockey game that night — and following the contest, the 6-5, 330-pounder met with Freeman in his office about the big news.
“Again, it was just that gut feeling,” Merrill added. “There was no specific moment where something crazy happened. I just accepted the truth.”
Merrill ranks as the nation’s No. 111 overall player and No. 5 interior lineman according to the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking.
“He is larger than life — that kid, man,” Cumberland Valley head coach Josh Oswalt previously told Blue & Gold. “He’s literally, physically larger than life. He’s an unbelievable presence. Socially, he is not a mute. He is a jovial, big kid who loves to work hard but also loves to joke around. But when he gets on the field, he’ll rip your face off.”
Merrill was named to the 2024 PAFootballnews.com Coaches Select Class 6A All-State first-team offense and PennLive’s 2024 All-Star High School Football Team.
