The Future at Left Tackle for Notre Dame? Grayson McKeogh's Film Screams It

With Grayson McKeogh's pledge to Notre Dame, we take a look at the film of the silent giant slated to protect the blind spot of Notre Dame's future signal callers.

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C/O 2026 5-star two-way player Joey O'Brien is set to make his commitment announcement on June 20th with Notre Dame squarely in the mix as a finalist. While O'Brien would certainly generate a lot of buzz among Irish faithful if he were to choose to don the Blue and Gold, one of his teammates at La Salle College High School also made plenty of waves when he chose to commit to Notre Dame.

A quick riser in the rankings, Grayson McKeogh is an offensive tackle out of Pennsylvania who, while being relatively raw at the position, possesses some qualities that can not be taught. Alongside Notre Dame, fellow college football heavyweights, Texas and Penn State, were in pursuit of McKeogh's services, but when it was all said and done, Joe Rudolph was able to help land another great talent for the Irish front.

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He's joining a 2026 class for the Fighting Irish that already includes some rich o-line talent in the case of 4-star prospects, Tyler Merrill and Gregory Patrick, and a couple of high-end 3-stars in Sullivan Garvin and Ben Nichols. In other words, the offensive trenches are locked and loaded for years to come, with ND being able to add McKeogh to the mix. I went over his Junior season film, which was his first year playing left tackle, and came away intrigued by the potential. For this breakdown, each trait will be graded on a scale of 1 (Poor) to 7 (Elite). Let's get into it!

Athletic Ability: Very Good (6)

Grayson McKeogh started off his high school career by playing both defensive end and tight end before making the switch to the o-line, which tells you the type of athleticism he brings to the position. His play speed is evident on basically every rep, and he is able to easily execute assignments that call for him to get somewhere in a hurry, such as getting out as a lead blocker on screen passes. Although he would currently be considered more on the slender side for an offensive tackle, his 6'7" frame should allow for him to pack on more mass without compromising his athletic ability, which is his most intriguing attribute. There is an explosiveness that he plays with off the snap, and his quickness and agility allow him to be used in a variety of blocking schemes. The more comfortable he gets at the position, he will be able to react and play even faster, which is a scary thought for opposing defenses.

Run Blocking: Very Good (6)

The first thing that jumps out on tape is McKeogh's lateral quickness and his ability to be used as a pull tackle and get up on the second-level defender efficiently, opening up major holes in the run game. He plays with good hand placement, and once he engages, he likes to make sure he finishes his blocks, using excellent play strength to wash out linebackers with general ease. Grayson has no problem with Drive Blocks, moving his man off the line of scrimmage while maintaining inside leverage. I have not seen him be used in a pure Zone Scheme, but with his athletic traits, it would be safe to assume that he could make that transition as well. Right now, he wins a lot of his matchups at the second level with pure size and strength, but I would like to see him maintain a little bit of a lower pad level and pair it with more leg drive. McKeogh is a mover in the run game and can only get better with more repetitions.

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Pass Blocking: Good (5)

There is a learning curve when making a position change, and that rings true for McKeogh just as it would for anyone else, but the foundation for him to build something great is overwhelmingly obvious. Although his punch timing can be more finely tuned, his arm length and ability to lock out against edge players give him a chance to win all his one-on-one battles. The mental processing aspect of his game shows with his awareness in dealing with twists and stunts, as he keeps himself in the proper position to be able to stay square to the looping defender. His initial kick step into pass pro is not always the cleanest, but he does a great job of never crossing his feet and displays the ability to shuffle and mirror defensive ends that try to win with speed. McKeogh's recovery speed also allows him to run defensive ends that get a step on him, wide and past the QB, allowing the quarterback to step up in the pocket and continue going through his progressions. Anchoring down against Bull Rushes is something I will be looking out for during his senior campaign, as reps in that area did not pop up a lot on film, but it is something that is vital to overall pass protection.

Competitive Toughness: Elite (6)

Offensive linemen and toughness are synonymous when you are talking about the elite ones at any level, and McKeogh offers that in a variety of ways. Yes, he shows a nastiness between the whistles, which is baseline stuff, but the mental toughness to be able to switch positions and not miss a beat cannot be understated. His physical traits is why he was able to go from a generally unknown commodity to a 4-star being pursued by some of the biggest names in the sport, but then switching to not just the o-line, but the most important position on the oline, speaks to his overall football IQ and the willingness to do whatever the coaches ask of him. Any player who can pair his physical toughness with his mental toughness is a dangerous one, and for a player in the trenches, it is a badge of honor. The consistent aggressiveness he shows is exactly what the offensive staff at Notre Dame is looking for.

The clock is ticking on landing some of the best remaining prospects 2026 has to offer. Although the offensive line room for Notre Dame is anything but bare, the addition of Grayson McKeogh further boosted an already sensational class for the Irish and helped round out one of the best position groups on the team. Ever-expanding playoffs mean more games and more chances at unfortunate injuries. Depth is king in today's game, and having a plethora of linemen to be able to rotate and punish opposing defenses with will win you a lot of games, which is a standard set by Head Coach Marcus Freeman, that he is not looking to relinquish any time soon.

What are your thoughts on Grayson McKeogh's ability on the line? How does he compare to past Irish blindside blockers, such as Joe Alt? Let us know!

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