Michigan appeared to be in the driver’s seat in Will Black’s recruitment.
The three-star offensive tackle in the 2025 class attended Michigan’s 30-24 victory over Ohio State in late November and recently described the Wolverines as being “at the top” of his list.
Then Black made a return trip to Notre Dame last weekend and decided he’d seen enough. Black announced Thursday his verbal commitment to the Irish.
"The coaches there are my favorite coaches," Black told Rivals. "I think it was a combination of football, offensive line development, the coaches, and the academics that you don't get anywhere else so I think it's a great spot for me."
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Notre Dame also beat out fellow finalists Alabama and Penn State in Black’s recruitment. The Irish became a contender after offering following his performance at Notre Dame’s Lineman’s Challenge in June. He previously visited Notre Dame for the Boston College game in November 2022.
“It means a whole lot,” Black said after receiving his Notre Dame offer in June. “Notre Dame’s one of my dream schools. I’ve always been a fan of Notre Dame. Getting an offer from there is a big deal for me.”
The 6-foot-7, 295-pound Black grew up a hockey player in Canada. But once he made the switch to football, he realized he could have a real future in the sport. He transferred from A.B. Lucas Secondary School in London, Ontario, to Choate Rosemary Hall, a boarding school in Wallingford, Conn., in early 2023 to start chasing a football dream.
It didn’t take long for college coaches to take notice of Black. When he worked out at a college showcase at Choate Rosemary in May, he received seven new scholarship offers within 36 hours. Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph was convinced to offer Black after seeing him workout in June. Alabama did the same in July.
Black lived up to his offer list in his junior season at Choate Rosemary this fall. Rivals still rates him as a three-star prospect and the No. 35 offensive tackle in the 2025 class, but Rivals rankings director Adam Friedman told Inside ND Sports that he’s currently underrated and should see a change in his stars and Rivals Rating (5.7) during the next update in February.
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“The 6-foot-7, 295-pound offensive tackle still has room to fill out his frame but is plenty strong, and it shows on film,” Friedman said. “He does a great job putting defenders on skates as a run blocker, and he shows an aggressive streak when he finishes his blocks. He does a nice job setting his hands and resetting them as the defender tries counter moves to get by him. But Black has the athleticism and quickness to adjust when necessary.
“He doesn’t have as much experience against elite pass rushers just yet, but that should come with time. He’s very solid from a technical perspective, and it should only help him see the field fairly early in his career once he arrives at Notre Dame.”
Black becomes the first offensive lineman to commit to Notre Dame’s 2025 class, which is up to 11 verbal commitments and ranked No. 1 in the country by Rivals. He joins a quartet of offensive players previously pledged to the class: quarterback Deuce Knight, running backs Daniel Anderson and Justin Thurman and tight end James Flanigan.
Notre Dame is also considered a top contender for four-star offensive tackle Owen Strebig, three-star offensive tackle Matty Augustine and four-star offensive guard Rowan Byrne in the 2025 class. The Irish signed four offensive linemen in the 2024 class on Wednesday: four-star offensive tackles Guerby Lambert and Styles Prescod, four-star offensive guard Peter Jones and three-star offensive tackle Anthonie Knapp.
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