Notre Dame Gave Owen Strebig The "Best Of Both Worlds"
Notre Dame received massive news when 2025 Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic Memorial offensive tackle Owen Strebig opted for the Irish over finalists USC, Florida State, Miami and Wisconsin. Heading into that visit, there was little question where Strebig was leaning.
He ended up selecting the Irish, a school he'd been high on for some time and visited six separate times. In the end, it wasn’t about why Notre Dame, but why not Notre Dame?
"It really starts with the academic program,” Strebig told Irish Breakdown. "A degree from Notre Dame is something special. You can really set yourself up for the rest of your life.
"On the football side, you get to compete for national championships and play on the biggest stage,” he added. "It’s a historic program that really gives you the best of both worlds. You get everything you need.”
Then, of course, the relationships were another big layer of Strebig’s recruitment. The Notre Dame staff made it an extremely easy decision. He has full trust in what the staff is building.
"It also came down to my relationship with Coach (Marcus) Freeman and Coach (Joe) Rudolph. I’ve gotten so close to both of them and I have so much trust in them. I know they can help me become the best version of myself.”
Coach Rudolph was especially important to seal the deal. The relationship he and Strebig have is truly special.
"My coach, Bill Young, has been around here for a long time, like 50 years,” he explained. "He knows Coach Rudolph and they have a great relationship. I know Coach Rudolph’s wife and his kids. He knows my parents. Our relationship is really great.”
You also hear about schools making their “pitch” to recruits. What can they provide? What is their long term version? How can they help you get to the next level?
For Strebig, Notre Dame didn’t need a special pitch. They are one of the few programs that just need to be authentic in their approach. It was unique.
"That’s the different part about Notre Dame,” said Strebig. "You don’t need to be a used car salesman to put out this big pitch. You don’t need to see any of the graphics. It’s Notre Dame. Their history and tradition speaks for itself.”
Now that Strebig is a part of the Notre Dame family, he has big expectations for what the 2025 recruiting class can build. That includes a potentially high level offensive line, which he is ecstatic to be a member of.
"Obviously you want to know who you are going to be playing with,” Strebig explained. "That’s a big reason why I wanted to make the commitment now. I want to be a big recruiter in the class and continue to add to the family. We have arguably the best class in the country. I really can’t wait to play with these guys.
"Will (Black) and I have talked on the phone a few times,” Strebig continued. "I’m excited to get to know him even more. We’ve talked about how we are going to work really hard. Now we have our sites on Matty Augustine. He’s next hopefully. I think that is a pretty good group of offensive lineman to work with.”
What the 2025 class ends up looking for in the end is a question. Regardless, Strebig is just excited to be a part of the program going forward. The future of the Marcus Freeman era appears to be very bright, with a lot of high expectations already set.
"I just can’t wait to be a part of this,” he said. "I’m so excited for the future and to be a reason that Notre Dame gets to the top. When you talk to Coach Rudolph, they are finding people that fit well in their room. Good stuff is going to happen.”
Notre Dame has never had problems attracting talented offensive lineman to be a part of the program. Strebig is the latest next big time recruit that the Irish have landed. He was being courted by some of the top programs in all of college football, including offers from the Irish, Michigan, Florida State, USC, Florida, Miami, Penn State, Texas A&M, Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, Stanford, Iowa, Wisconsin, Kentucky, UCLA, UCF, Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan State and Duke among others.
The 6-8, 295-pound offensive tackle is considered a consensus four-star recruit by every major recruiting platform. He ranks highest on the Rival ranking, currently sitting as the No. 65 overall player and No. 6 offensive tackle in the 2025 recruiting class.
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