Michigan TE commit Andrew Olesh scheduling official visit to Notre Dame sparks flip rumors

By Maliha

Modified Oct 24, 2024 13:32 GMT

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Four-star tight end Andrew Olesh, from Southern Lehigh High School in Pennsylvania, has remained committed to Michigan since July 8. However, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have been making attempts to recruit him for some time.

Olesh will be taking an official visit to Marcus Freeman's program for the Florida State game on Nov. 9. It will give the school a chance to impress and potentially flip him from his Michigan commitment. No recruiting experts have predicted that Olesh is leaning toward Notre Dame over Michigan, but a successful visit could tilt the balance.

Notre Dame has experienced some challenges in this recruiting cycle. The Irish lost their four-star safety Ivan Taylor to Michigan earlier this summer. Four-star quarterback Deuce Knight also flipped to Auburn earlier this month, leaving a gap in their top-tier recruits.

Adding Andrew Olesh would be a big boost to this cycle, given his ranking as the No. 3 tight end in the nation and the No. 2 overall recruit in Pennsylvania, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He has helped Southern Lehigh to an impressive 8-1 record so far in his senior season. Not only does he excel at tight end, but he also plays safety and linebacker.

Notre Dame has another tight end committed alongside Olesh: four-star James Flanigan. However, its pursuit of Olesh shows the need for a second tight end, especially given potential roster changes this offseason. If Freeman's program can flip Olesh, the Irish's 2025 class ranking would jump from No. 13 to No. 11, according to 247Sports’ Class Calculator.

Penn State is also heavily pursuing Andrew Olesh

Michigan's 2025 class witnessed a big blow in late August when four-star defensive lineman Nathaniel Marshall flipped to Auburn. Sherrone Moore's top priority now is to retain the pledge of Andrew Olesh, and besides Notre Dame, Penn State is also after him.

Penn State coach James Franklin has made multiple visits to Olesh’s school, and his most recent visit during Penn State’s bye week made a strong impression on Olesh. Speaking to Irish Illustrated, he expressed his appreciation:

"Coach Franklin's been to my school another time with the helicopter, so that is pretty cool. Just knowing Penn State wants me and they are sending the head coach, coach Franklin, over to the school, it's pretty cool. I think that means something, especially on their bye week."

Penn State already has four-star tight end Matt Henderson committed in the 2025 class.