Coach | Notre Dame Fans Will Enjoy What They See From 2022 OL Ashton Craig

In the end, it was never going to be about fancy facilities or anything like that for Ashton Craig‍.

“The one thing that we've constantly talked about is the people and that people make a place,” Lawrenceburg High School head coach Ryan Knigga says of himself and Craig, a 2022 offensive lineman from Indiana.

Craig spent this weekend on an official visit to Notre Dame and found his place, announcing his commitment to the Irish on Saturday night.

“I think once he was able to get on campus and be able to sit down with the coaching staff and talk to the coaches and finally dig into how they're going to use him and where they see him at and being around the guys,” Knigga says. “I knew that he was with the offensive line unit (Saturday) night and the way that they interacted with each other and the relationships that they seemed to have really caught his attention.”

Craig camped in South Bend earlier this month, which helped him land the offer in advance of this weekend’s visit. That trip also helped lay the groundwork and crossed the basics off the list for him.

“It could be overwhelming at first, but once he got on campus this week and was able to finally sit down and really get to know the coaches and the players, I think that was what finally sparked the interest to go ahead and make his commitment,” Knigga says.

Craig chose the Irish over offers from schools like Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Iowa, Purdue and Florida State among several others.

“It's awesome. I'm happy for Ashton, happy for his family and happy for our program to be able to experience something like this with a great kid.”

Knigga says the plan is for the Irish to bring Craig in as a center.

“Obviously, we knew all along that it would probably be an interior spot,” the coach says. “That's where they're going to start him off at and then go from there.”

He believes Irish fans will like what they see from Craig in the coming years.

“I think they're going to see a kid that is very athletic. They're going to see a kid that's going to work hard every day. Not only in the classroom, the community, but also the football field. He's going to be a kid that does it the right way.

“I think what they're also going to see is a kid who develops tremendously over the next four years due to his work ethic and due to his frame and different things like that. I think he still has a lot of potential that's untapped. So I think they'll see a kid who is going to continue to grow, continue to get better every year and also a kid who will hopefully help the Irish win some games down the road.”