One of the nation's top OL recruits, Billy Schrauth, will be leaving his home state of Wisconsin to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in college. The Saint Mary's Springs (WI) standout announced a top four of Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Wisconsin on Oct. 16 prior to announcing his commitment to Notre Dame today.
Wisconsin and Notre Dame were the two teams it came down to in the end. The Irish appeared to be in the drivers seat for a long time. Many even speculated that Schrauth was a silent commit to Notre Dame, but in recent days there was talk of him possibly changing his mind to stay home and play for the Badgers. South Bend is where his heart was in the end.
What the Irish are getting:
Schrauth is an old school throwback type of lineman. He is strong, nasty and tries to impose his will on opposing defenders every play. Schrauth is extremely athletic for his size and was recruited by many for his skills as defensive lineman as well. He plays with great bend, is explosive off the ball, and excels at both pulling and blocking second level defenders in space. Schrauth already has a solid build, but should continue to add mass and strength in a college weight program. Notre Dame may not need him to play right away, but Schrauth has the skill-set and size to contribute from the time he steps on campus. As the No. 3 ranked OG in the nation, this is a big get for the Irish, and helps solidify their offensive line for years to come.
Why it's big for Notre Dame:
This is big on a number of fronts. Schrauth's commitment signals that Notre Dame has continued their recruiting momentum after losing a head coach just weeks before signing day. Even more impressive is that they were able to pull Schrauth out of Wisconsin, a program known for locking down in-state prospects and sending offensive lineman to the NFL. Scrauth is commitment No. 23 for Notre Dame in the 2022 class, and with less than a week before signing day it gives them the No. 5 recruiting class in the entire country. Schrauth also becomes the fourth four-star offensive line commitment in this class, which puts Notre Dame in a great position to dominate the trenches for years to come.
