Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame offer responded with gratitude by elite Class of 2026 DL: "It was an amazing feeling"

Notre Dame defensive line coach Al Washington offered a scholarship to three-star defensive lineman Tavian Branch on April 20. Branch also plays as an interior offensive lineman at Riverside High School in Pennsylvania, but Marcus Freeman's Irish are targeting him for their defensive line.

Branch posted about the offer on his X account:

In an interview on Monday, Branch discussed the offer.

“Coach Al Washington called me and told me I was offered,” Branch told Irish Sports Daily. “It was an amazing feeling getting an offer from Notre Dame."

As an interior offensive lineman, the 6-foot-5, 300-pound Branch is the No. 67 prospect in the 2026 class and the No. 21 recruit in Pennsylvania, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Notre Dame has yet to secure a defensive lineman commit in the 2026 cycle, and so the push from the Irish coaching staff toward Branch is already high.

“I have pretty good contact with a lot of their defensive coaches,” Branch said. “They’re coming to see me in two weeks."

The Irish have 12 committed players in the 2026 class, ranking No. 4 in the nation. The program's cycle is fresh off receiving the commitment of four-star safety Ayden Pouncey this week and is also trending for several players.

What will Tavian Branch's commitment mean to Notre Dame?

As a junior in the 2024 season, Tavian Branch recorded 10.5 sacks, 110 pancake blocks, 65 tackles (25 for loss), 40 quarterback pressures and two tipped passes. He also played a key role in helping his high school win the team title at the 37th Abington Heights Bench and Deadlift Powerlifting Championship on Sunday.

Needless to say, Branch will bring explosive athleticism to Notre Dame if he commits. What also stands out about him is his humility and perseverance, even as he gains increasing attention in the recruiting scene.

"My social media has been popping,” Branch told The Times Tribune. “I am being patient with it. Going through this process, it can be slow at times, but you never know when that one post can go viral.”

Branch has already outlined his key priorities for making a decision, which he plans to reveal after completing his official visits.

“The culture of the program and how I’m valued is going to be the difference-maker in my recruitment process," Branch told Irish Sports Daily.

Besides the Irish, Branch is also high on schools like Oklahoma, Penn State, Alabama, Rutgers and Florida.