Notre Dame’s Wisconsin drought is officially over.
Four-star Fond du Lac (Wis.) St. Mary’s Springs offensive guard Billy Schrauth, who committed to Notre Dame Dec. 10, has signed his letter of intent with the Irish. He is the program’s first signee from Wisconsin since Brian Beidatsch in 2001.
Not only did Notre Dame end a long dry spell in Wisconsin, it went straight into the in-state school’s backyard and pilfered a top-150 recruit. Rivals ranks Schrauth as the No. 3 guard and No. 125 overall prospect in the class of 2022. He was the first four- or five-star offensive lineman from Wisconsin to spurn the Badgers since Ben Bredeson in 2016 (Michigan) and just the second since 2003.
The Irish beat out Wisconsin in an elongated head-to-head battle for Schrauth’s services. They made him one of their earliest 2022 targets on offense, offering him in May 2020 when he was still a high school sophomore. Their recruitment of him dates back even further, though. He visited for a home game on Nov. 23, 2019. His first trip to Notre Dame Stadium was as a fan in 2018 for the season opener.
Notre Dame hosted Schrauth for an official visit June 11-13, 2021. He took an official to Wisconsin the week before. He played the long game and stretched his recruitment through his senior season.
That extra time eventually gave new Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman a chance to influence his thinking. Freeman held his introductory press conference Dec. 6, left immediately for the airport and boarded a jet for a weeklong recruiting trip across the country. His first stop was none other than to see Schrauth, with offensive coordinator Tommy Rees accompanying him.
The visit and Freeman’s presence clearly made a difference. Four days later, Schrauth committed. He was the first player to commit to Freeman after Freeman’s elevation to head coach.
Schrauth (6-6, 280 pounds) is one of five offensive line recruits in Notre Dame’s 2022 class, joining Ty Chan, Ashton Craig, Aamil Wagner and Joey Tanona. All five of the Irish offensive line commits are slated to play in a major postseason All-American game.
Schrauth will participate in the Army All-American Bowl Jan. 8. Shortly after, he will enroll at Notre Dame for the spring 2022 semester.
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