Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 20, 2021 43 "Going into the 11th, I had all of the information I needed to make my deci- sion," he explained. "It was upon me to rank what was most important to me." And after coming to the internal de- cision of choosing the Fighting Irish, when did he tell the Notre Dame staff? "They found out when everyone else found out," Wagner said. "I was 95 per- cent sure going into the day, and as I started my speech thanking everyone, I knew for sure I wanted to pick Notre Dame." Yup, you read that right. When a prospect has a commitment ceremony, he (typically) tells the coaching staff of the school he is choosing days and sometimes weeks in advance. In Wag- ner's case though, the Fighting Irish staff must have assumed he was going elsewhere because they didn't receive the heads up that he was picking them — especially after having a big Zoom call the night prior. "All of the schools in my top five were calling me and thought I had commit- ted somewhere else," Wagner added. "I needed the final information to make my decision though." The first person at Notre Dame who Wagner spoke with after announcing his commitment was offensive line coach Jeff Quinn, who was over the moon about the news. "It was always a close competition between Kentucky and Notre Dame from the beginning," Wagner contin- ued. "I kept learning more and more things that I liked about Notre Dame, whether it's the academics, culture or the history of linemen they've sent to the NFL. Kentucky offered a strong family aspect, and it was neck and neck until the end." A FANTASTIC FIT There was plenty of drama late in Wagner's recruitment, but in the end, it was a decision that made a lot of sense for him. He's a straight-A student and big-time recruit choosing a high-ac- ademic institution that routinely puts offensive linemen in the NFL. Wagner will be a strong culture fit in the Notre Dame locker room. "He checks all of the boxes," Mukes said of his star player. "You're talk- ing about a 4.0 [GPA] student first and foremost. He's a good young man who is going to continue to get better and is willing and able to learn. He takes care of things in the classroom and excels on the field." On the field, Wagner projects as an offensive tackle. At 6-6, 265 pounds, he has the length needed to succeed at the position, but he certainly needs to put on a lot more weight. As Irish fans have seen with tight end-turned-tackle Joe Alt this season, it can happen quickly. "I think he's a tackle because of his athleticism and how he can move," Mukes added. "It's something that's very attractive to college coaches. "The physical attributes that he pos- sesses, and he's only been playing the position for a couple of years — the potential is there. He checks all of the boxes of character and being a student- athlete. He comes from a great family. All of those things come into play. He has the measurables, grades and is an outstanding young man." Rivals ranks Wagner as the No. 9 re- cruit from his home state of Ohio, and the No. 23 offensive tackle and No. 202 overall player nationally. "He's an athlete," Blue & Gold Illus- trated football analyst Tim Hyde said. "He needs to put a lot more weight on, but he's tall and he's an athlete. He can strike, move and is very athletic. He's a 100 percent tackle prospect, which Notre Dame needs more of. He doesn't have the size of Blake Fisher, but who does?" With the addition of Wagner, the Irish now have four offensive line pledges in the 2022 class. He joins Groton (Mass.) Lawrence Academy's Ty Chan, Law- renceburg (Ind.) High's Ashton Craig a n d Z i o n sv i l l e ( I n d . ) H i g h 's Jo ey Tanona. Chan is committed to play- ing in the Under Armour All-America Game, while Craig, Tanona and Wagner are slated to play in the All-American Bowl. The current quartet would be another strong haul for Quinn and Co., but clos- ing on Fond du Lac (Wis.) St. Mary's Springs' Billy Schrauth, another All- American Bowl commitment, is key for the Irish. "For Notre Dame to get a fourth guy in this class — and they're working hard to get a fifth with Billy Schrauth — it can be a top-five nationally ranked offensive line class after the great group they had last year," Hyde added. Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic quar- terback and Notre Dame class of 2022 commit Steve Angeli couldn't be more excited about the blockers he'll have up front from this group. "Aamil is a huge addition to this class and offensive line unit," Angeli said. "I was really excited when he chose Notre Dame. When I was on my official visit with him [in June], I felt like we made a good connection and continued to build the relationship in the fall. "Overall, the offensive line class is re- ally exciting with the talent and potential these guys have. Ashton, Joey and Ty have all had great seasons as I've been following them, and I just can't wait to get to work with the boys up front." Wagner can't wait to get to work either. "Notre Dame fans are getting a player who will work his butt off and do the best he can to not only represent the football team but the entire school and fan base as a whole," Wagner said. "I'm committed. I'm going to put my best foot forward. I'm ready to go to work." ✦ FILM ANALYSIS "He has such a lengthy build that he looks like he could gain another 50 pounds. He cer- tainly has the length, long arms and quick hands that you look for in a left tackle. Agile and a natural knee bender, he slides along the line effortlessly, showing the good lateral speed and body control that you look for in a tackle. Wagner is very powerful in the legs and difficult to move once he drops anchor. He has the heavy hands and long arms to control pass rushers. He just seems to have a good feel for the position, plays with a high IQ and may just be the most athletic tackle prospect in the country." — Prep Football Report recruiting analyst Tom Lemming "They found out when everyone else found out. I was 95 percent sure going into the day, and as I started my speech thanking everyone, I knew for sure I wanted to pick Notre Dame." WAGNER ON THE IRISH COACHING STAFF