2025 4-star OT Owen Strebig commits to Notre Dame: ‘You get the best of both worlds'
Notre Dame extended an offer to Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic Memorial four-star offensive tackle Owen Strebig last spring. The Fighting Irish’s staff proceeded to stay in constant contact with Strebig, who took visits to South Bend in April and July.
Following that summer trip, Strebig realized that Notre Dame could be the place for him. He followed up on that feeling on Thursday by committing to the Fighting Irish, choosing head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff over Miami.
“You get the best of both worlds,” Strebig told On3. “… It is not only with academics and football, but there are great people on the staff that I can be around. I trust them. I think it’s the place for me to get developed and they can also help me chase my dreams of playing on Sundays.”
According to Strebig, he started comparing every school he visited to Notre Dame after his visit on July 30. So far, the 6-foot-7, 295-pound recruit has seen the Fighting Irish three times since that day, including for an unofficial on Jan. 20.
Originally, Strebig wanted to take all of his official visits before making a decision on his college destination. However, the No. 1 player in Wisconsin found “home” sooner than I expected.
“This is where I want to be,” said Strebig, the No. 111 overall prospect and No. 11 offensive tackle in the 2025 On300. “I want to be a part of Notre Dame and I’m excited to be a part of it. Notre Dame has great tradition. I fit in there and I’m excited to get to work because then I start building our class. I’m so excited to be a part of the program.”
Strebig believes in Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame staff
Strebig’s next trip to South Bend will be in the spring. He is hopeful that other top players follow him into Notre Dame’s 2025 recruiting class and has already started recruiting prospects such as Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick School three-star offensive tackle Matty Augustine.
The four-star is excited to take advantage of what Notre Dame has to offer outside of football because of its strong alumni base and the four-for-40 opportunity, which is a belief that four years of playing football for the Fighting Irish can set student-athletes up for 40 years of success off the field. He is also thrilled for the experience of playing under Freeman.
“He’s such a stand-up guy and a leader,” Strebig said. “Also, my coach – coach Bill Young – will be at my school for 50 seasons next year. He’s seen it all and he had such high praise for coach Freeman and that means a lot. My parents really like him.”
“He’s such a laid-back guy when you talk to him,” he added. “He truly believes in what Notre Dame is. I think that’s the biggest thing.”
Freeman is not the only staffer that Strebig has built a quality relationship with, as he first got to know offensive line coach Joe Rudolph as a freshman when Rudolph was at Wisconsin. Once Rudolph moved to Notre Dame, he maintained contact with Strebig and has visited his school multiple times.
Strebig and his family are comfortable around Rudolph, who is loved by his players, according to the offensive tackle. He is confident that when he arrives to South Bend, Rudolph will help him grow as a football player.
“He’ll make sure you’re always prepared,” Strebig said. “He’s not one of those old-school coaches who is cursing at you the whole practice. He’s there for you to get better. Coach Rudolph gives you a lot of opportunities to be with him and I think it’ll be on me when I get there to meet with him and work with him.”