Defensive End Aidan O'Neill Commits To Notre Dame
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Notre Dame remains hot on the recruiting trail, picking up a commitment from talented 2027 defensive end Aidan O'Neil. The Ramsey, N.J./Don Bosco Prep standout picked Notre Dame over Penn State and Kentucky, giving the Irish yet another win over the Nittany Lions, something that has been quite common the last two recruiting cycles.
Notre Dame didn't offer O'Neil until after line coach Charlie Partridge was hired, but the interest between the two parties immediately picked up. From that moment the Irish became a major player in his recruitment. O'Neil visited Notre Dame for its March 21 Junior Day, which was key to getting in position to ultimately landing the talented defensive end.
As a junior, the 6-5, 250-pound edge defender racked up 45 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and six sacks. He's a powerful edge player that is stout against the run and has the potential to develop into an impact power rusher. His combination of length, power and athletic skill gives the Irish defense something it certainly wants and needs as the Irish look to continue building the nation's best defensive line. O'Neil was also named a team captain for Don Bosco as a junior, which speaks to his leadership skills.
Landing an elite defensive end group in 2027 is important for Notre Dame, who needs to start stacking big time classes at the position. After landing elite ends Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade in the 2026 class, the Irish needed to land impact edge players in the 2027 class to pair with that duo. O'Neil is that kind of player, and his unique skillset complements the current edge rushers well. Notre Dame will need to add more impact players on the edge, but O'Neil is a strong start to the edge class.
O'Neil is ranked as the nation's No. 73 overall player in the country according to 247 Sports. The Don Bosco standout is also ranked as the No. 9 defensive lineman in the class and the No. 3 player in the state of New Jersey according to 247 Sports. O'Neil is a consensus four-star recruit and graded out as a Top 150 caliber prospect on the Irish Breakdown board.s
O'Neil earned offers from the Irish, Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon, Texas, Indiana, Texas A&M, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee, Florida State, Nebraska, Washington, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Illinois, Syracuse, NC State, West Virginia, Duke, Minnesota, Northwestern, Boston College and Rutgers.
The Don Bosco standout is the 11th player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2027 class. He joins Texas running back Lathan Whisenton, Massachusetts running back Isaiah Rogers, Pennsylvania offensive lineman James Halter, Wisconsin offensive lineman Richie Flanigan, Florida linebacker Amarri Irvin, North Carolina cornerback Xavier Hasan, Ohio cornerback Ace Alston, Florida safety Zayden Gamble, Florida nickel John Gay III and North Carolina long snapper Sean Kraft.
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