Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SUMMER 2026 35 BY MIKE SINGER On May 1, Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep four-star edge Aidan O'Neil an- nounced his commitment to Notre Dame, giving the Fighting Irish a major boost in their 2027 recruiting class. Notre Dame offered him a scholar- ship Feb. 11, and he quickly set up a visit to South Bend for the next month. His junior day visit March 21 went incred- ibly well and sent the Irish soaring up his list. One visit was all it took. He picked the Irish over Kentucky and Penn State, his other two finalists. "When you're at Notre Dame, there's just something about the place," the 6-5, 250-pounder told Blue & Gold Il- lustrated. "You feel an aura. I don't even know how to describe it. It's just differ- ent than other schools. "The people separated it a lot, too — the players and coaches. I've had a handful of conversations with Coach [Marcus] Freeman, and I'm ready to go to war for him already. "Academically, I have something to fall back on, God forbid something hap- pens. I will have that great degree and alumni network to fall back on. I know I belong at a school with like-minded individuals." O'Neil is locked in with his Fighting Irish pledge. There won't be any drama, nor will he take visits to other schools moving forward. He'll take his official visit to Notre Dame in June and hope- fully return for a game this fall. "I'm going to focus on one school, and I'm going to start learning the scheme," he said. "[Defensive line] Coach [Char- lie] Partridge is going to help me grow as a player this year. I feel really great. I don't have to think about other schools; it's all about Notre Dame now. That's where I'm going." On March 27, O'Neil narrowed down his recruitment to seven schools: Illi- nois, Indiana, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee and Texas A&M. He visited each of them in the spring, and after that tour, he admitted that he might shut down his recruitment before taking summer official visits. O'Neil made his decision privately April 29. He told his high school head coach, Dan Sabella, that he'd be pick- ing the Irish, and as a Fighting Irish fan, Sabella was fired up. And Don Bosco Prep's defensive coordinator, Spencer Scannell, was equally excited, consider- ing he's a Notre Dame alum. O'Neil noted that many people in his corner were pulling for Notre Dame — including his father — but the decision was his own. "Notre Dame was an opportunity I couldn't turn down," he added. After informing his high school coaches, O'Neil called Partridge to give him the news. "He played a huge role in my deci- sion," O'Neil said. "He's a genius when it comes to everything defensive line. He's going to help me get to where I need to go. He was really fired up. He said that I was a can't-miss target and he needed to get me." The next call was to Freeman. "He said that this was the best de- cision I'll make in my life," O'Neil re- called. "He was super pumped up be- cause of the person I am. He knows I'm going to fit right in." It was close between Notre Dame and an SEC school down the stretch, but a chat with Freeman a couple weeks be- fore his announcement proved crucial. "I was really thinking about Kentucky for a while, but Coach Freeman called me, and I don't know what exactly it was about that conversation, but things started to change for me," he explained. "I took a step back and really thought about the big picture — the school itself and what it's going to do for me. "Bosco is a strict, Catholic all-boys school. The academic part is the real deal, and it's a football-player factory. I wanted to choose a school that could be difficult and give me adversity. I really got to talk with the guys at Notre Dame, and I feel like I belong there. I'm going to fit in really well at Notre Dame. "I just wanted to go to Notre Dame, at the end of the day." Two days after making his decision privately, he announced it on a CBS Sports YouTube stream. He also held offers from the likes of Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M and Wash- ington. The Montgomery, N.Y., native ranks as the No. 17 edge and No. 191 overall prospect in the country according to Rivals. O'Neil had a tremendous junior sea- son as a team captain, helping Don Bosco Prep to an undefeated regular season before falling in the New Jer- sey Non-Public A state championship game. He posted 54 tackles, 16 stops for loss, 7.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in 12 games. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE AIDAN O'NEIL Irish Add First Defensive Lineman In 2027 Class O'Neil, the No. 17 edge and No. 191 overall pros- pect nationally according to Rivals, committed to Notre Dame over Kentucky and Penn State May 1. PHOTO COURTESY DON BOSCO PREP FILM ANALYSIS "Aidan O'Neil plays with power and violence at the point of attack. He has great hand usage and ability to play under his pads, especially with his height. I would like to see more bend when working on the edge and in space, but he has quality twitch and vertical explosion. "O'Neil could bulk up and kick inside to a three-technique in a four-down front or play as a strong-side end in a three-down front. He's an interesting prospect who provides run- stopping ability on first and second downs. He needs to develop in his pass rush, and it will be intriguing to see what his body turns into at the next level." — Rivals national scout Cody Bellaire