Late Call For Aamil Wagner Goes Notre Dame's Way

The decision went down to the end for Aamil Wagner‍…to the very end.

“I think that happened this morning, honestly,” Wayne High School head coach Roosevelt Mukes told Irish Sports Daily.

That decision, for the 2022 Ohio offensive lineman to commit to Notre Dame over offers from Kentucky, Penn State, Maryland and Ohio State among others, was announced publicly on Thursday afternoon, not that long after the Irish coaches found out themselves.

“I know he prayed about it and talked with his family and felt like that was best situation for him,” Mukes said.

It was certainly a welcomed surprise for Notre Dame as most expected the 6-foot-6, 260-pounder to select the Wildcats and it was certainly a welcomed surprise for Irish offensive line coach Jeff Quinn.

“I think it's his combination of athleticism and ability at the position and then the type of person he is and his character,” Mukes said of what makes Wagner so special.

“Nowadays, to me, character is just as important, if not more important than ability. You're talking about somebody who checks all the boxes.”

Wagner joins a 2022 offensive line haul that also includes Ashton Craig‍ and Joey Tanona‍, who are both from Indiana, along with Massachusetts’ Ty Chan‍.

“I think he's just gotten better at the position each and every year,” Mukes continued on Wagner. “He understands the concepts of the whole offense and knows what other people's responsibility are as well.

“It's just a great day for him and his family and I'm happy for them. I'm sure that's a weight off of his shoulders. For a 17, 18-year-old, that can be very stressful.”