2025 four-star OT Will Black commits to Notre Dame football
On National Signing Day Dec. 20, Notre Dame welcomed 23 high school recruits as part of its football program. And on the following day, the Irish staff reminded us all that there are truly no days off in recruiting and no time to rest.
Wallingford (Conn.) Choate Rosemary Hall offensive tackle Will Black announced his commitment to Notre Dame Thursday afternoon, giving the Irish an impressive four-star pledge to add to its double-digit list of verbals in the 2025 class.
Black visited campus back in June and participated in the Notre Dame Lineman’s Challenge camp. The result of his efforts was him picking up an offer from the Fighting Irish. With his team playing on Saturdays, Black was unable to get out to South Bend for a game day. But he did get out to campus this past weekend to watch a couple practices and hang out with the coaches.
He previously told Blue & Gold that he didn’t have a specific decision timeline. It was all based off “feel.” So, with him announcing his commitment to Notre Dame Dec. 21, what was that feel?
“It’s a combination of a few things,” Black answered during a phone interview with Blue & Gold before announcing his decision. “My relationship with the coaches is the best compared to any other school, plus meeting the players — the culture in the O-line room is great. I feel like I can fit in there really well.
“There’s a combination of great football — especially sending offensive linemen to the NFL — and great academics. A Notre Dame degree is one of the best in the country. It’s the right fit for me, and it’s where I’ll grow the best as a football player and student.”
Black picked Notre Dame over finalists Alabama, Michigan and Penn State. He held scholarship offers from 17 other programs as well.
The 6-7, 285-pounder is the No. 312 overall player and No. 23 offensive tackle nationally and No. 2 prospect in Connecticut in the 2025 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.
In On3’s own rankings, Black is the No. 202 overall prospect, the No. 14 player at his position and the No. 2 recruit in Connecticut.
Black becomes Notre Dame’s 11th commitment of the 2025 class. To put that into perspective, that’s nearly half the tally of what the Irish signed in the 2024 class (23). Black is the first offensive line commit for position coach Joe Rudolph in the 2025 cycle.
More on Black’s Notre Dame commitment
Black didn’t go into the visit planning to commit to Notre Dame. It clearly wasn’t something that was off the table, but it wasn’t his expectation. However, things went so well during the trip that after the Echoes Award Show Dec, 16, he informed the staff of his decision.
“I was saying goodbye to Coach [Marcus] Freeman and Coach Rudolph, which is when I told them,” noted Black. “They were really fired up. They were hugging me and were super exciting.”
A couple days after Black’s private commitment, Gerad Parker left his position as Notre Dame offensive coordinator to become the head coach at Troy. Black told Blue & Gold that Parker’s move has no impact on his commitment.
Black further detailed his time in South Bend this past weekend.
“It was great,” he said. “I loved seeing the coaches, catching up with them and learning more about Notre Dame. A highlight of the trip was watching them practice. I got to watch the walkthrough on Friday and practice on Saturday. It was really good to see how Coach Rudolph coaches. I loved talking with Coach Rudolph and watching film with him, plus talking with Coach Freeman.”
The four-star prospect is fired up at the idea of playing for Rudolph in the blue and gold.
“I think he’s a master on the offensive line; he knows what he’s talking about,” said Black. “He knows how to coach really well and can develop guys into the NFL. We went over my film and coached me up. He told me what I’m good at and really thinks I’m a great fit for Notre Dame.”
Black had good conversations with his future head coach as well.
“We caught up on family, and he went over why I’d be a great fit for Notre Dame and all that the program has to offer with football and outside of football,” recalled Black.
For his efforts during his junior season in 2023, Black was named the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) lineman of the year. He was also named the Founders League lineman of the year and was listed on the All-Founders first-team offense.
Black, who is a native of London, Ontario in Canada, reports a 6-10 wingspan and a 5.16 in the 40-yard dash. He was a key part in leading Choate Rosemary Hall to an undefeated 9-0 season and a NEPSAC championship.
