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It didn’t take long for Harrison Tyler to know on his visit to Notre Dame that it was the place he wanted to be.
Tyler, the No. 1-ranked player in the class of 2028, went in to the Sept. 9 contact period with his sights set on four of the best programs – both academically and athletically – in the country. He felt like there wouldn’t be a bad decision with any of them, either. But once he got on campus in South Bend, it was clear to the Lawrenceville (N.J.) and Long Island Express attackman that he’d found his future home.
“When you step on campus for a football game, you can just feel the energy in the air,” Tyler said. “It was exciting and exhilarating to be there, and you can tell that being a student-athlete is a great experience. I had the opportunity to meet with a handful of schools on Sept. 9 and I had conference calls, and I think I was going in with an open mind. Notre Dame just spoke to me.”
Tyler made it official shortly after, giving the Irish their first five-star recruit of the cycle. It’s the second straight class that Notre Dame has landed the top attackman in the grade after a verbal from another legacy in JT Cross. Tyler’s sister, Amelia, is a senior at Notre Dame, while his mother, Stephanie, is an alum of the school. That family lineage in South Bend had given him some insight into what the school was like, but he still had to go find out for himself if it was the right place for him.
“This was such a new process for my family because my sister wasn’t a recruited athlete,” Tyler said. “She’s in the business school and she’s always spoken so highly about Notre Dame. I was definitely super interested in a number of schools and I’m grateful that they reached out. My plan was to take a little more time, but being on campus and seeing how exciting it is with the different energy around it, it just spoke to me and I had a gut feeling about it.”
“A big reason why I chose Notre Dame is they offered me a spot to be in the business program,” Tyler continued. “Ninety-seven percent of the players on the team are in the business program. The academics were a big part of my choice. I want to prepare for lacrosse on the field but also after that. It was a key differentiator and I’m super excited about that.”
Tyler Helps the Irish Reload
Tyler should slot in seamlessly into the Irish offense. He’s at his best as an X attackman, able to score and feed, but he’s also shown that he’s able to attack defensese from a number of spots. Tyler played both attack and midfield for Lawrenceville this spring, filling in a number of roles in a senior-laden offense. Four-stars Colby Rossettie (West Coast Starz / Johns Hopkins) and Jake Sturtevant (Michigan) are off to the Big Ten, which should open up a spot at attack for Tyler to take. Tyler’s able to threaten defenses with his terrific quickness and change-of-direction skills. He’s also diversified his bag of tricks and plays really well
Tyler doesn’t feel the pressure of being labeled the No. 1 recruit in the class. He’s joining an Irish roster littered with blue-chip recruits, so he won’t exactly be out of place as one of them. Rather, he sees it as an opportunity to work with one of the most talented rosters in the country as Notre Dame seeks its third national title.
“It goes without saying Notre Dame is a championship culture and it’s a great team culture,” Tyler said. “They have a culture of hard work and support for each other and I felt like I could really thrive within that environment. I don’t think there’s much pressure. It’s always nice to get recognition, but it just means that you have to keep doing what you’re doing, sticking to what you know and playing the same way you have because that’s what got you to this point.”
For Tyler, that point is being the next great Notre Dame attackman with eyes on a national championship.