‘It actually brought tears to my eyes’: Elite 2027 OT Jake Hildebrand reflects on Notre Dame offer

The Notre Dame football program already holds a special place in the heart of Jake Hildebrand, a 2027 class four-star recruit who has garnered national attention.

At 6-foot-5½ and 285 pounds, the Chandler (Ariz.) Basha sophomore is ranked as the No. 55 overall player and No. 6 offensive tackle according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Despite 24 Power Four scholarship offers from schools like Alabama, Oregon and Texas A&M, none resonated as deeply as the one extended by Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph during the program’s Pot of Gold Day on March 17.

“Once he said that you have a full-ride scholarship to Notre Dame, it actually brought tears to my eyes,” Hildebrand told Blue & Gold. “I’ve seen Notre Dame for years; it is an amazing program. They’ve won what? Eleven national championships? It’s amazing. It shows that they have a winning persona around them. They have a really good following and community around them.”

For Hildebrand, the significance of Notre Dame’s run to the 2024 national championship game added weight to the offer.

“It was amazing to see,” he said. “Then seeing, ‘Hey, this school is really interested in you and going to give you an offer as a high school sophomore’ doesn’t happen much. So it’s one of those moments that will bring tears to your eyes, just because you know what you’re doing in the weight room, on the field, and in the classroom is really paying off.”

Hildebrand also appreciated the timing of the offer during Notre Dame’s St. Patrick’s Day-themed recruiting event.

“St. Patrick’s Day is a Catholic holiday,” he said. “It just shows that my Lord and Savior is here saying, ‘Hey, I love what you’re doing. I’m going to give you this to boost you to keep going and keep getting better.’”

Notre Dame could be a strong contender for Hildebrand’s commitment

Though Hildebrand’s offer from Notre Dame carried plenty of emotion, the Fighting Irish also appeal to him for several practical reasons. It is already a strong contender for his commitment, which could come at the end of his junior season.

“When it gets closer to my commitment, Notre Dame is still an amazing school,” he said. “It has really good business and mechanical engineering programs, which I’m interested in. So it’s always going to be one of the top ones on my list when it comes time to commit, just because of their academics.

“So it’s not really about emotion, but more about seeing, ‘Hey, this school has something good and aligns with what I want to do even after the NFL, after football ends.’ I can always rely on that.”

The program’s offensive line development is another draw for Hildebrand.

“I know for sure, like Joe Alt, is one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL right now,” Hildebrand said. “He went to Notre Dame. It’s crazy seeing him go from college to already being at an NFL-like stature, basically ready to go. It just shows that the coaching and Notre Dame in general can produce NFL talent.”

Rudolph, who coached Alt during his All-America junior season, played a key role in developing him into the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Lately, Rudolph has impressed Hildebrand in their conversations.

“He’s an amazing guy,” Hildebrand said. “He’s really nice. I can’t wait to see him. I want to be able to meet him and see his coaching style. That’s another thing in my recruitment—I want to see if the coaching style matches my play style.”

Hildebrand is eyeing a trip to South Bend soon. He’s already visited Nebraska, Alabama and Texas A&M this spring but hopes to make Notre Dame his next stop.

“It’s a very high priority for me,” he said. “We’re definitely trying to get out there. I’ll probably be able to visit Notre Dame in the summer.”

The post ‘It actually brought tears to my eyes’: Elite 2027 OT Jake Hildebrand reflects on Notre Dame offer appeared first on On3.