BREAKING | 2023 Four-Star ATH Ben Minich Commits to Notre Dame
2023 Lakota West (Ohio) athlete Benjamin Minich has committed to Notre Dame and once against the Fighting Irish have back-to-back commitments and momentum as preseason camp started on Friday morning.
The four-star prospect chose Notre Dame over Cincinnati, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Stanford.
“It was the perfect fit for me, Minich told ISD. “After getting the offer, I knew that’s probably where I wanted to go, but after the visit, it really solidified my decision. I was able to talk with Coach (Chris) O’Leary, Coach (Marcus) Freeman and Coach (Al) Golden. They’re really good guys and guys I want to be around every single day.
“It’s Notre Dame. The football is top tier and the academics are top tier. Notre Dame has it all. I think it was the perfect fit for me and I can’t wait to get up there.”
Minich camped at Notre Dame in June, but made another trip last week and it didn’t take long for him to call the staff to tell him he was coming.
“I told them the day after my visit,” stated Minich. “I got on the phone with Coach Freeman and he told me I made the best decision of my life. He said he was happy for me. He’s just a good guy, genuine and cared about me making the correct decision for me. Ultimately, it was Notre Dame. He was stoked and I was stoked. It was a good day.”
The two share the Ohio connection and when Freeman was the defensive coordinator at Cincinnati, he lived just minutes away from Minich.
“He actually lived five minutes from me,” laughed Minich. “A bunch of my friends live in his old neighborhood. Having that Cincinnati and Ohio connection makes our bond even stronger.”
Minich was also equally impressed with O’Leary and he couldn’t be more excited to learn from him on a daily basis.
“He is someone I want to be around,” Minich explained. “He can relate to young adults, but at the same time be serious and coach you up. He’s coached some of the best. He just produced Kyle Hamilton and he worked with JOK (Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah). He knows what he’s talking about and he’s a really smart guy.
“He’s someone who is going develop me, push me and make me a better person.”
O’Leary isn’t afraid to mix it up on the field as he wears cleats to practice and coaches with infectious energy, which are all positives in Minich’s eyes.
“That doesn’t surprise me at all,” laughed Minich when he found out O’Leary wears cleats to practice. “He’s hands on. I wouldn’t expect anything else. That’s exactly what I want to see from a coach and how I want to get coached.”
The Lakota West star now joins the No. 1 recruiting class in the country and Minich couldn’t be more fired up to join the ultra-talented group.
“It makes me even more excited about the class and the future at Notre Dame,” explained Minich. “I’m coming in to bring championships back and those guys have the same goals as me. That’s who I want to be around. They’re going to push me every day and I’m going to push them.”
Offers: Akron, Army, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Charlotte, Cincinnati, UConn, Duke, Harvard, Indiana, Iowa State, Kent State, Kentucky, Miami (OH), Navy, Ohio, Oklahoma, Princeton, Stanford, Toledo, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest and Yale.
Ranking
ISD: 91 (four-star)
247: 90 (four-star)
Rivals: 5.6 (three-star)
ESPN: N/R
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