Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING ROUNDUP Recruiting Notes • Indianapolis Ben Davis linebacker Asmar Bilal has had a memorable senior year. First, his longtime goal of playing college football moved closer to becoming a reality when he committed to Notre Dame Oct. 16. Second, Bilal has racked up 142 tackles and six sacks through 13 contests to help put his team in contention for a state championship. Now, Bilal has achieved another goal — becoming an All-American. "It's really crazy," Bilal told 247Sports national director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong. "It's just so surreal. It's a dream come true. … The Army All-American Game, that's a great experience. I'm speechless. Notre Dame is a very presti- gious and great school, and I just can't wait." The U.S. Army All-American Bowl will take place Jan. 3 in San Antonio. It's the ultimate goal for all high school football players. The 6-3, 215-pound Bilal is the fourth player ever from his high school invited to the game, joining wide receiver James Banks (University of Tennessee), quarterback Mar- queis Gray (University of Minnesota) and safety Antonio Allen (Indiana University). Another surprise for the future Irish linebacker is that Bilal won't make the trip to Texas alone. He'll be joined by his head coach Mike Kirschner, who will be an assistant coach during bowl week. "You watch a kid you've known since he was a seventh or eighth grader to where he's at right now — he's going to go get a great college education and play at a great program with great tradition, and he's helped us get back to the state finals, which we haven't done in 12 years," Kirschner told Wiltfong. "The best part about him is watching him grow up over the last three, four years. He has a great personality, he loves life, he loves Ben Davis football and he's become the leader we hoped he'd become." NBC will have the national broadcast from inside the Alamodome. More than 40,000 fans have attended the last three years, many of them servicemen and servicewomen. "It's so surreal," Bilal told Wiltfong. "It's just a blessing. I'm blessed to have this opportunity to go to the game with the best athletes in the country. I'm just thankful, and I couldn't have done it without my coaches and my parents or any of my family. To be in this position is just great. "I'm just looking forward to the experience. It's just a great opportunity." Per 247Sports, Bilal is the No. 170 overall player in the nation, the No. 5 inside linebacker in the country and the No. 2 prospect in Indiana from the 2015 class. — Tom Loy Follow @TomLoy247 on Twitter for daily recruiting updates available on BlueandGold.com. Indianapolis Ben Davis standout Asmar Bilal, the No. 5 inside linebacker in the country according to 247Sports, will play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Jan. 3 in San Antonio. PHOTO COURTESY 247SPORTS