Tag: Will Black

Watch: Notre Dame offensive line commit scores a 49-yard touchdown

The big man has got wheels

When Connecticut offensive lineman [autotag]Will Black[/autotag] committed to Notre Dame football, it seemed like the Irish found another diamond in the rough.

Initially, the 6-foot, 7-inch and 295-pound tackle was ranked as the No. 314 overall player when he made his decision to join the Irish. Fast forward to now, as Black has continued his rise among scouting services as he has jumped to the No. 42 ranked player according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

While we have seen plenty of highlights of Black pancaking defenders and opening up holes for his running backs, what we didn’t expect to see was him rumbling 49-yards for a touchdown.

The play wasn’t on accident either, as it was a designed screen to the huge tackle, who showed he has soft hands, vision and clearly the athletic ability to race down the sidelines for an impressive scoring play.

Over the last few recruiting cycles, Notre Dame has consistently found offensive lineman that can contribute very early in their college career, which is not normal. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Black force his way into the rotation early in his Irish career.

Marcus Freeman knows what it will take for ND to reach the next level
Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman greets players before the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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2025 Michigan tight end commit will make official visit to Notre Dame

This would be a huge flip.

Notre Dame has developed a reputation in recent years for its quality tight ends. Another one could be coming to the Irish next season, and it would really would make the fan base happy.

Tight end recruit Andrew Olesh, the top-ranked 2025 recruit in Pennsylvania according to 247Sports, committed to Michigan on July 8 without the Irish having made him an offer. Clearly, something has changed though because Irish Illustrated is reporting that Olesh will make an official visit for the Irish’s Nov. 9 game against Florida State.

If the Irish were to lure Olesh away from the Wolverines, he would be the third 2025 commit that 247Sports has ranked as the best in their respective state. The ones so far are offensive tackle [autotag]Will Black[/autotag] from Connecticut and [autotag]James Flanigan[/autotag], currently the only tight end in that recruiting class, from Wisconsin.

247Sports currently ranks the Irish 13th among the 2025 recruiting classes, so this should bump them up a bit if it happens:

Best of luck to the Irish in efforts to flip Olesh.

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Notre Dame commit gets upgraded ranking

Notre Dame commit Will Black continues to draw praise.

Will Black, an offensive tackle who has committed to Notre Dame, has received a boost in On3’s rankings.

On3 updated its rankings to reflect that the high-school season is coming up on the halfway point, and it has 18 players assigned five-star status. It will eventually have 32 players with that ranking to match the number of NFL first-round draft picks.

Black, who plays his high school ball at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut, is the No. 1 offensive tackle on On3’s list.

“The 2025 recruiting cycle is heavy at the top with offensive tackle prospects and Will Black is the man at the top of that list. The 6-foot-7, 285 pound tackle from Connecticut is arguably the most sound tackle prospect in the country. Black has a tremendous frame that will only need to add 15-25 pounds once he reaches the collegiate level and will be able to carry that additional mass with ease given his build and body type.”

Irish fans will be able to see Black in action in the Adidas All-American Bowl in January.

 

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Notre Dame commit will play in prestigious high school All-Star game

The Irish are sending another star to a prominent high school All-Star game

[autotag]Will Black[/autotag], an offensive tackle who has committed to Notre Dame, will be playing in the Adidas All-American Bowl.

The game will be played on January 11, 2025, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, and it will feature top high-school talent. It’s slated to be broadcast on NBC and Peacock. This year marks the game’s 25th anniversary.

According to NBC Sports, several hundred future NFL players have suited up since the game started in 2000 which includes Stefon Diggs, Trevor Lawrence, and C.J. Stroud among others.

Multiple other high school stars are expected to be showcased in the game like offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., defensive back Devin Sanchez, and wide receiver Jabari Brady.

Black will be joining the Irish after playing his high school ball at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, CT. The 6-foot, 7-inch Black weighs 295 pounds and is ranked the best offensive tackle in Connecticut and 19th-best in the nation by the 247Sports Composite.

Irish fans can get a preview of Black’s play by tuning into the game in January.

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Notre Dame offensive tackle Will Black finally gets recruiting respect

The recruiting services finally give Black some respect

When Notre Dame football took a commitment from Connecticut offensive tackle [autotag]Will Black[/autotag], many wondered why his recruiting ranking was so low on the majority of outlets.

It seems like the 6-foot, 7-inch and 285-pound mauler was more of an unknown prospect, but now the recruiting services have finally caught up. As ESPN updated its rankings, Black is now officially one of the top players in the country.

Black has moved up to No. 99 in their rankings, moving him up the 247Sports Composite Rankings to the No. 107 overall player and 10th offensive tackle in the country. His rise is extremely impressive, considering at one point just On3 had him rated inside their top prospects.

Black’s hard work had paid off, but you have to give credit to the Irish coaching staff for not working off rankings, but their evaluations instead.

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Two Notre Dame football commits have landed at On3’s Elite Series

Two of the Irish’s best commits together

As On3 continues to grow, they have focused on getting some of the best players from across the country to attend its event, the Elite Series.

Two of Notre Dame football’s 2025 commitments were invited, offensive tackle [autotag]Will Black[/autotag] and quarterback [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag]. The pair of future Irish players checked into the camp on Tuesday and not surprisingly they got together for a photo op.

You can see how massive Black is, standing 6-foot, 7-inches and weighing 295-pounds, although you wouldn’t guess that he was at that weight. As for Knight, he’s almost the same height at 6-foot, 5-inches while weighing 206-pounds.

Both are viewed as one of the best at their positions, as the 247Sports Composite Rankings has Black as the nations No. 199 overall prospect while Knight checks in at No. 45.

The expectations for each one of them is extremely high, and rightfully so. You can could us in as being very excited about their Irish future.

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Meet Notre Dame’s Top Ranked 2025 Recruiting Class

What must the Irish still add to make this class great?

It’s early in the 2025 recruiting cycle still but recruiting for Notre Dame tends to play out a lot like a quote from New York Yankees legend Yogi Berra:

“It’s getting late early out there.”

When it comes to football recruiting Notre Dame is a team that tends to start hot and then usually have to hold on to secure a high ranking.  They’re rarely if ever a program that soars up the rankings late in the process.

That’s why it’s so important that Notre Dame gets off to hot starts in recruiting and that is something they’ve certainly done to date with the 2025 recruiting class.

Notre Dame now has 16 commitments in the class which gives them the top ranking according to both 247Sports and Rivals.

Below are the currently committed 16 members of Notre Dame’s 2025 recruiting class and a little about each player.

Please note: Prospects are listed according to their public commitment dates

Notre Dame football gets a commitment from 2025 offensive tackle

The Irish stay hot on the recruiting trail

One day after the early signing period opened, Notre Dame football continued to stay hot on the recruiting trail.

Connecticut offensive tackle [autotag]Will Black[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Irish, giving them verbal No. 11 for the class. The 6-foot, 7-inch and 295-pound linemen is ranked as the No. 29 player at his position and 317th overall prospect in the country according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

The Irish beat out Alabama, Michigan, and Penn State for Black’s commitment. He has stated that his commitment was going to be 110% locked in previously, as he has effectively ended his recruitment extremely early in the cycle.

The current Notre Dame 2025 class is now ranked as the No. 1 class in the country according to the 247Sports Team Rankings after Black’s commitment.

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Notre Dame football singing ‘O Canada’ this weekend

Will he one day stand on guard for thee…Notre Dame?

On Friday, Notre Dame commitment [autotag]Sean Sevillano[/autotag] made his decision public.  As a result the Irish gained their 17th member of the 2024 recruiting class.  Sevillano plays his high school football in Clearwater, Florida now but is from Canada originally.

That wouldn’t be the only Canadian connection for the Irish over the weekend as they also made a scholarship offer to offensive tackle [autotag]Will Black[/autotag].  Black stands 6-7, 295-pounds and is in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Black is still filling into his body but comes with an impressive offer list entering his junior year of high school.  Notre Dame joins Michigan, Penn State, Miami (FL), Texas A&M, Nebraska, and several others who have already offered him.

Black is from Canada but attends high school at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut.

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Rutgers football recruiting: Connecticut three-star Will Black adds his twelfth Power Five offer

Will Black gets an offer from Rutgers football on Wednesday night.

Three-star offensive lineman Will Black from Connecticut was offered by Rutgers football on Wednesday night. For Black, it now makes an even dozen offers from Power Five programs.

An impressive 6-foot-7 and 295 pounds, Black projects as not just one of the top offensive tackles in the Northeast region but likely the nation. He plays for Choate Rosemary Hall (Wallingford, CT) and is a member of the 2025 recruiting class.

He holds a number of top offers from programs like Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech among others. He is a three-star recruit according to On3.

Black posted about the offer on social media on Wednesday night, tagging Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano:

 

The 2024 class is off to a strong start for Rutgers and is currently top 25 in the nation according to Rivals and 247Sports.

Two commits are currently slated to play the offensive line from the 2024 class:

  • [autotag]Raynor Andrews[/autotag] (a three-star offensive lineman from Miami, FL)
  • [autotag]Kenny Jones [/autotag](a three-star offensive lineman from Delran, N.J.)

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