Notre Dame Impresses - And Offers - Alabama Defensive Lineman Garrett Witherington

Notre Dame hosted Alabama defender Garrett Witherington for a visit, and followed with an offer

2026 defensive lineman Garrett Witherington / Garrett Witherington

For the first time, standout 2026 Birmingham (Ala.) Briarwood Christian defensive lineman Garrett Witherington visited Notre Dame on Saturday for spring practice. Although he came into the trip without an offer from the Irish, Witherington is a player that the staff has been doing a ton of homework on recently. 

At the end of the trip, that official scholarship offer did come. That was one part of what was a tremendous introduction to Notre Dame football for the Alabama native. 

"The visit was great,” Witherington told Irish Breakdown. "One thing that stood out was how they made me feel welcomed from the second I got there to when I left. 

"After visiting Notre Dame, it definitely opened my eyes to more things than just the south,” he continued. "My family and I really enjoyed it. I feel like I could fit in well, because I understand what kind of student you need to be to play there.”

The coaching staff did a tremendous job making Witherington and his family feel at home in South Bend. It was nothing but easy conversations, and developing strong bonds. 

"I enjoyed being with every coach,” he explained. "I got to meet with Coach (Marcus) Freeman, Coach (Al) Golden, Coach (Al) Washington, and many more. Every conversation I had, talked not only about football, but also what Notre Dame could do for me when football is over.”

Being able to watch practice today allowed Witherington to see the coaches and players in action, and visualize himself in the blue and gold. The Irish staff even compared him to a player he had the chance to watch closely live in action. 

"The staff told me that they see me as a player that could play both defensive end and defensive tackle,” Witherington said. "They compared me to Rylie Mills, which was a big compliment after watching him at practice today.”

Notre Dame has continued to value versatility up front, and Witherington brings a ton of that. It isn’t overly surprising that he left his first trip with an offer. From here, that early bond promising to grow. 

As of today, Witherington has a smaller offer list. The programs who have offered him so far include the Fighting Irish, Cal, Troy, UAB and Northern Arizona. The 6-5, 240-pound defensive lineman is a talented player, and has a lot of growth potential in the future. 

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