Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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42 MARCH 2020 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2020 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY MIKE SINGER Aidan Keanaaina commit- ted to Notre Dame over 20 other college programs, with his other two finalists being Florida and Ohio State. The Denver J.K. Mullen de- fensive tackle continued to be pursued by other top teams, but it didn't sway him for a second. "Coaches tried texting me, and I told them that I'm com- mitted and don't see myself changing in 1,000 years," Keanaaina told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "Over time, they slowly gave up." Keanaaina is a perfect fit for Notre Dame as an unself- ish, high character, superb student and big-time football talent. "I love Notre Dame. I'm so happy I'm going there," Ke- anaaina stated. "I'm buying a bunch of Notre Dame stuff and proudly showing it off everywhere I go." Once Keanaaina committed, his relationship with Notre Dame de- fensive line coach Mike Elston grew exponentially. "He asks about my family, and I ask him how his kids are and how the wife is doing," Keanaaina said. "We've gotten so close. It's gone past the point of him being a coach I'm talking to. If I trust a coach completely, then I'm going to take every little bit from him. "That's where we're getting to and it's fantastic." Keanaaina picked Notre Dame on his birthday in Feb- ruary 2019 and was relieved to finally make it official by signing in December. "The recruiting process was fun, but it was stressful," he said. "I had to juggle a lot of decisions, but I'm very happy with where I'm going. I love Notre Dame; it's where I want to be." The 6-2¾, 302-pounder already has his date set to move in at Notre Dame. "I'm going up there June 13 and starting summer school and summer workouts," he said. It was a tough year for Ke- anaaina's Denver-area high school team on the gridiron, finishing the season 4-7, but against top competition he totaled 77 tackles and 13 stops for loss. Rivals ranks Keanaaina as a four-star talent and the No. 29 defensive tackle in the land. ✦ Aidan Keanaaina Heads East To Make His Mark Rivals rated Keanaaina — who had 13 tackles for loss as a senior — as the No. 3 player in Colorado and the No. 29 defensive tackle in the nation. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM AIDAN KEANAAINA DEFENSIVE TACKLE 6-2¾ · 302 J.K. MULLEN BRIGHTON, COLO. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 29 3 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 31 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 56 5 STATISTICS • Had a highly productive career at J.K. Mullen, recording 216 tackles, 28 stops for loss, 12.5 sacks, 12 forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 10 quarterback hurries and a blocked field goal from 2016‑19. • As a senior, he recorded 77 total stops, 13 tackles for loss, four sacks, eight forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, seven quarterback hurries and a blocked field goal. • Tallied 69 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery and three forced fumbles as a junior. NOTABLE • Born on Feb. 13, 2002 • 2019 Denver Post Gold Helmet Award finalist • 2019 Polynesian High School Player of the Year award watch list • 2018 and 2019 Class 5‑A first‑team All‑West Metro Conference • 2018 USA Today All‑Colorado first team • 2018 Mile High Sports' All‑Colorado first team • Works out with former NFL defensive tackle Matt McChesney at Six Zero Strength & Training, driving two hours round trip three times a week at 5 a.m. • 4.1 GPA • Worked with special needs children at a rec center in the Denver area • His father played football for Colorado State ALL-STAR GAMES • Selected to participate in the Polynesian Bowl Jan. 18 in Hawai'i RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on Feb. 13, 2019. • Had a final three of Florida, Notre Dame and Ohio State. • Also held offers from the likes of Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, UCLA, USC, Utah and Vanderbilt. • Recruited by Notre Dame defensive line coach Mike Elston. • Officially visited Notre Dame in April 2019 and made multiple visits to see the Irish play last fall. 2020 PROJECTION • Will likely redshirt at a loaded defensive tackle position for Notre Dame, but has the size and abil‑ ity to play as a freshman if need be. THEY SAID IT J.K. Mullen head coach Vincent White: "He pro‑ vides some stability to the middle of the defense. He is always dependable. Aidan is a great kid who is always going to be there, always do his job and be in the right place at the right time to try and make plays. With him in there, there are two or three gaps that teams can't run through. He does a lot. Aidan is very athletic, uses his hands well and makes plays. He provides a lot to our team on the defensive side of the football." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "Aidan can dominate the competition from start to finish. Perfectly suited for the nose tackle posi‑ tion, he's fast and powerful. He gets off the ball quickly, dominates the point of attack and can handle the double team. I believe he has what it takes to become an All‑American at the next level. Aidan needs to be double‑teamed at all times. … No doubt in my mind Aidan is one of the premier run stoppers in the country."