Gregory Patrick made countless recruiting visits to Notre Dame, Michigan and Michigan State. All those trips informed the decision the four-star offensive tackle made Sunday when he announced his verbal commitment to the Irish.
"It really came down to the people and the culture," Patrick told Inside ND Sports. "Obviously, they compete at the highest level and produce great offensive linemen."
Patrick, a 6-foot-5, 275-pound junior at Portage (Mich.) Northern, came to his commitment conclusion following his most recent visit to Notre Dame earlier this month. Patrick had been focused on four finalists — Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State — with plans to make official visits to all four later this year.
More Content
► Rivals250 EDGE Rodney Dunham commits to Notre Dame football's 2026 class
► Notre Dame's QB competition may need youth movement after Blue-Gold Game
► Decoding what matters from the mirages in Notre Dame's Blue-Gold Game
► Transcript: Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman after 94th Blue-Gold Game
► Notre Dame offense pulls away late for victory in Blue-Gold Game
Now Notre Dame is the only thing planned for Patrick's future ahead of his senior season. Rivals ranks Patrick as the No. 32 offensive tackle in the 2026 class.
Patrick became the fourth offensive linemen to commit to Notre Dame's class after fellow four-star recruits Sullivan Garvin, Ben Nichols and Tyler Merrill. Patrick grew close to Michiganders Garvin and Nichols, and they've spent time training together. The Irish may add a fifth offensive lineman to the class, but it would be for someone Notre Dame really wants.
Notre Dame offered Patrick on Pot of Gold Day in March 2024 after he'd already visited the Irish twice. He's made four more visits to Notre Dame since then as the Irish won over his recruitment.
Both Michigan and Michigan State hosted Patrick for more visits than Notre Dame, but that didn't make a difference in the long run. The Spartans weren't able to reel in a legacy recruit whose father, Joseph Patrick, played offensive line at Michigan State. The younger Patrick was drawn to play for ND offensive line coach Joe Rudolph.
“Coach Rudolph has been nothing but great to my family and I," Gregory Patrick told Rivals. "The players love him and talk about how he helps them in life, not just football. I'm super excited to be able to play for him.”
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO INSIDE ND SPORTS ON YOUTUBE
The addition of Patrick gives Notre Dame 10 commitments in the 2026 class. Rivals ranks the Irish group as sixth-best in the country with nine four-star recruits and one three-star recruit. Notre Dame's average star rating of 3.9 is only lower than No. 4 Texas A&M (4.0) and No. 5 Ohio State (4.0) among schools with at least 10 commitments.
Patrick's commitment is Notre Dame's third since the start of April. The Irish momentum could continue with upcoming decisions from four-star running back Javian Osborne on May 3 and four-star defensive tackle Tiki Hola on May 10. Both visited Notre Dame this weekend around the Blue-Gold Game.
---------------------------------------------------------------
• Talk with Notre Dame fans on The Insider Lounge.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Podbean or Pocket Casts.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports channel on YouTube.
• Follow us on Twitter: @insideNDsports, @EHansenND and @TJamesND.
• Like us on Facebook: Inside ND Sports
• Follow us on Instagram: @insideNDsports
