Less than a week before he will be expected to sign his National Letter of Intent, consensus four-star offensive lineman Billy Schrauth committed to Notre Dame on Friday afternoon.
Schrauth (St. Mary’s Springs High School; Fond du Lac, Wis.), the No. 3 offensive guard and No. 125 overall player in the class of 2022, per rivals.com, is the fifth offensive lineman to join the Irish class. He chose Notre Dame rather than his homestate Wisconsin after a prolonged recruiting battle, and he also took an official visit to Ohio State.
At 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds, Schrauth plays with a singular focus of aggression, demonstrating good upper body control despite his quickness off the snap.
An All-American Bowl invitee, he is the 23rd commitment in the Irish class. The roster math is cloudier than ever as coaching staffs adjust to the transfer portal, not to mention a one-year waiver to exceed 85 scholarship players. Simply put, Notre Dame has plenty of reason to feel comfortable signing a larger class.
Most, if not all, of those 23 recruits should sign on the proverbial dotted line when the early signing period begins on Wednesday morning.
Schrauth will join a roster with an increased level of competition among young linemen. Freshman Joe Alt finished the season as the starting left tackle after freshman Blake Fisher began the year there, becoming only the second freshman offensive lineman to start the season opener in Notre Dame history, before a knee injury cut short his season in September. Along with them, freshman Rocco Spindler should be expected to challenge for a starting role at guard in 2022.