Pot of Gold: Every new 2026 offensive line offer Notre Dame sent out
Notre Dame football offensive line coach Joe Rudolph expanded his horizon in the 2026 recruiting cycle. After only offering two offensive linemen during last year’s Pot of Gold Day recruiting event, Rudolph increased that number to nine in his second year on the Fighting Irish coaching staff.
Here’s a breakdown of the nine new high school sophomore offensive linemen Rudolph offered on St. Patrick’s Day.
Harrisburg (Pa.) High OL Kevin Brown
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 257 pounds
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 43 overall player, No. 3 interior offensive lineman nationally and No. 2 prospect in Pennsylvania
Other notable offers: Penn State, Wisconsin, Rutgers, Syracuse, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Iowa State and Virginia Tech
The skinny: Kevin Brown plays his high school football less than 100 miles from Penn State. He has prioritized the Nittany Lions, too, unofficially visiting Happy Valley six times. Although PSU appears to have the early edge in Brown’s recruitment, the Irish showed in the 2024 cycle that they could enter The Keystone State to sign offensive linemen. Notre Dame added Penn State legacy recruit Peter Jones from Malvern (Pa.) Prep that year and could do the same this cycle.
Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab OL Lamar Brown
Height/weight: 6-4, 255 pounds
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 5 overall player, No. 1 interior offensive lineman nationally and No. 3 prospect in Louisiana
Other notable offers: LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Southern California, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Miami, Texas, Oregon and Auburn
The skinny: Notre Dame dripped back into familiar territory for a surprise Pot of Gold Day offer to Lamar Brown. University Lab in Baton Rouge, La., is the same school that produced Notre Dame sophomore linebacker Jaiden Ausberry. The Irish tried to make a push on Pot of Gold Day for 2025 linebacker Keylan Moses from University Lab. However, he ended up committing to LSU. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) predicts the same outcome in Brown’s recruitment.
Nixa (Mo.) High OL Jackson Cantwell
Height/weight: 6-7½, 305
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 2 overall player, No. 1 offensive tackle nationally and No. 1 prospect in Missouri
Other notable offers: Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Iowa, Miami, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Southern California, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Wisconsin
The skinny: As the top offensive prospect in the 2026 cycle, Jackson Cantwell already features a frightening recruitment. However, according to Cantwell, his recruitment is wide open, even though he has paid 22 unofficial visits. Rudolph has compared Cantwell to Joe Alt in their initial conversations. Georgia, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma are the initial names to know.
Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher’s School OL Darius Gray
Height/weight: 6-3, 285
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 76 overall player, No. 4 interior offensive lineman nationally and No. 6 prospect in Virginia
Other notable offers: South Carolina, Penn State, Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Duke, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, Miami and Florida State
The skinny: Like Cantwell, Darius Gray has a highly competitive recruitment. South Carolina is the school to watch, hosting him four times, more than any other school. Gray is scheduled to visit Notre Dame next month. The Irish will look to make a strong impression on him then.
Naples (Fla.) Community School of Naples OL George Haseotes
Height/weight: 6-2, 270
On3 Industry Ranking: N/A
Other notable offers: Auburn, Colorado, Georgia, Louisville, Miami, Stanford, Texas A&M, UCF and Wisconsin
The skinny: While George Haseotes was a surprise Pot of Gold Day offeree, he was worthy. Many Core Four schools are already pursuing him, including Georgia, one school he has reported visiting besides Notre Dame. Haseotes attended last season’s USC game on Oct. 14.
Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Cumberland Valley OL Tyler Merrill
Height/weight: 6-5, 305
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 57 overall player, No. 5 offensive tackle nationally and No. 3 prospect in Pennsylvania
Other notable offers: Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, South Carolina, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Duke and Wisconsin
The skinny: Tyler Merrill plays his high school football near Brown and even closer — about 50 miles — to Happy Valley. Penn State has hosted him seven times, more than any other school. Like Brown, do not count out the Irish for a Pennsylvania offensive line recruit. Merill has been to Notre Dame twice and will return on April 6.
Davison (Mich.) High OL Ben Nichols
Height/weight: 6-5, 315
On3 Industry Ranking: N/A
Other notable offers: Florida State, Michigan and Purdue
The skinny: Before reporting his Notre Dame offer on Pot of Gold Day, Ben Nichols had already visited South Bend twice. First, he participated in the program’s “Lineman’s Challenge” on June 4. Then, he returned for the USC game on Oct. 14. This recruitment will be a true Notre Dame/Big Ten battle if (and when) Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State offer. Michigan State already has and is a school to watch, too.
Durham (N.C.) South Garner OL Ekene Ogboko
Height/weight: 6-6, 285
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 23 overall player, No. 3 offensive tackle nationally and No. 3 prospect in North Carolina
Other notable offers: Georgia, Penn State, Florida, Duke, South Carolina, Auburn, Florida State, Texas A&M and Tennessee
The skinny: Losing out to Georgia in 2024 defensive lineman Nnamdi Ogboko’s recruitment did not prevent the Irish from offering his younger brother, Ekene Ogboko. Although the Bulldogs might have a strong grip on Ekene’s recruitment early, Notre Dame is taking its shot. Ekene visited campus with his brother last fall. Rudolph stopped by his school this winter.
Portage (Mich.) Portage Northern OL Gregory Patrick
Height/weight: 6-4, 280
On3 Industry Ranking: N/A
Other notable offers: Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Nebraska, Stanford, Kentucky, Minnesota and Wisconson
The skinny: Gregory Patrick’s recruitment poses another Midwestern battle. He has already visited Michigan and Michigan State a combined seven times. Patrick also visited Notre Dame for last season’s Central Michigan game and participated in the program’s Evaluation Camp II on June 22. Oklahoma is a sneaky contender, hosting him on two visits.
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