Where Notre Dame stands in offering fast-rising Chicago TE recruit Gavin Mueller

Gavin Mueller has always aspired to play some sport for the University of Notre Dame. The Wheaton (Ill.) St. Francis 2026 class recruit didn’t realize it had the chance to be for Marcus Freeman’s program until a few months ago. 

First, he thought it could be lacrosse. Then, after choosing to specialize in basketball for his first two years of high school, he hoped it would be on the hardwood. Now, he’s full steam ahead on college football and the early returns are encouraging. 

Following two years away from football, the 6-foot-6, 231-pound Mueller dusted off his cleats this offseason and caught the attention of college programs. Before playing a high school game, Mueller has reeled in a dozen scholarship offers, including ones from Wisconsin, Illinois, Cincinnati, Florida, Minnesota, Indiana, Texas A&M and Purdue. 

Notre Dame might not be far behind. 

Mueller stood out at the program’s Irish Invasion camp on June 2. The coaching staff kept him on their radar by inviting him to the program’s end-of-summer recruiting event on July 25. Despite having other opportunities to visit elsewhere, Mueller accepted it without hesitation. 

That second trip to campus did not produce an immediate offer. However, he now has a good idea of when one might come.

“I just don’t have any film,” Mueller told Blue & Gold. “So, they’ve pretty much told me repeatedly over the summer that after two or three games, their goal is to offer me if my film correlates to how they think I can play. So, hopefully, after a couple of games, I’ll have a scholarship from Notre Dame. That would be great.” 

Recruiting services have already caught on to Mueller’s potential. 247Sports already considers him a three-star who ranks as the No. 24 tight end nationally and the No. 8 prospect in Illinois. 

The Irish are in the same boat as Nebraska and Northwestern. They also want to see a few of Mueller’s games before extending a scholarship. Meanwhile, Missouri and Penn State have remained in consistent contact. 

But after a few trips to South Bend and feeling excited about how Notre Dame could grow his Catholic faith, Mueller remains steadfast in his Irish interest. Adding an offer from them would be an unforgettable moment. 

“I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself because I haven’t played a game yet,” Mueller said. “But I would definitely be excited. Coach Freeman said he was going to try to come to a game. That’s no pressure, but that would be something.” 

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