Glenbard West O-lineman Chris Terek decommits from Wisconsin, pledges to Notre Dame

This season, Chris Terek was the anchor of one of the biggest, and best, offensive lines Glenbard West football has had in quite some time.

He’s ready to be part of a special group in South Bend, too.

The two-time Class 8A All-State pick this week made the decision to decommit from Wisconsin and make his verbal commitment to Notre Dame.

Terek, a 6-foot-6, 305-pound senior, is joining a group of four 2023 four-star recruits at offensive line for Notre Dame that includes Rock Island Alleman’s Charles Jagusah, the No. 1-ranked player in Illinois in the Class of 2023 according to 247Sports. Terek is the No. 16 recruit in that class.

“It was there that I felt the most comfortable,” Terek said. “I built good relations with the coaching staff. I really like the energy that [Notre Dame head] coach [Marcus] Freeman is building. I feel like they are building something really big with the 2023 and the 2024 class.”

Terek said Notre Dame always had interest in him, but their scholarship allotment was filled up for 2023. After a decommitment, Irish assistant offensive line coach Chris Watt came to watch Glenbard West’s game with York.

Terek was invited for a visit to South Bend for the Stanford game and while on campus was offered a scholarship. Watt is a former standout offensive lineman for Glenbard West, Class of 2009, before going on to play in college at Notre Dame.

“It definitely helps having that connection,” Terek said. “It was a really big deal for me to get the offer. Notre Dame has one of the richest traditions with college football and offensive line. They breed offensive linemen. Notre Dame has always been the school, one of the biggest schools in college football. They were always in the picture but [their scholarships] were filled up. We didn’t start talking a bunch until after the decommitment.”

Terek, who played tackle at Glenbard West but likely will be moved to guard at Notre Dame, made his verbal commitment to Wisconsin in late June.

He said his thought process changed after Wisconsin fired head coach Paul Chryst in early October. Wisconsin last weekend announced the hiring of former Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell as its new head coach.

“I was committed to coach Chryst; before he got fired I wasn’t really interested in any other school,” Terek said. “After that happened Notre Dame hit me up. They were the one that I was interested in. I didn’t care about any other schools other than Notre Dame.”

Terek’s decision this week was the climax to a recruitment process that saw him earn 25 scholarship offers including Michigan, Iowa and Illinois.

He said it was always his dream to play major college football, a vision that really came into focus over the last year.

“After my junior year I realized that I could do it,” he said. “I went to campuses and they all said I was a Power 5 offensive linemen, but I had to get the weight down. I dropped the weight and as soon as I dropped the weight that was when it really started to pick up.”

Terek is the latest addition to the Irish from the Glenbard school district. His teammate at Glenbard West, senior kicker Marcello Diomede, is committed to Notre Dame. So is Glenbard South junior receiver Cam Williams, the No. 1-ranked player in Illinois’ Class of 2024 and a former youth football teammate’s of Terek.

Terek plans to stick at Glenbard West through the school year. He is wrestling for the Hilltoppers this winter, and working out daily at Acceleration Sports Performance in Naperville.

“Just lifting, getting stronger and faster,” he said.