Aidan O'Neil didn’t expect his official visit to Notre Dame to change his mind at all.
But, last month's trip to South Bend certainly confirmed the 2027 Irish defensive end commit had made the right choice all along.
"The best part was I was able to see that my decision was the best decision I could have made," the New Jersey defender told Irish Sports Daily. "It gave me reassurance that there was no other place I'd rather be."
The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder admitted, in hindsight, the recruiting process felt more difficult than it ultimately needed to be.
"Looking back, when I was going between my top three schools in my head, I was making it a whole lot harder than it should have been," O'Neil said.
"It's pretty safe to say that I made the right choice."
Spending extended time with Notre Dame's coaches and players during the official visit ultimately reinforced that feeling for the Don Bosco Prep standout.
"The overall vibe I get from the players and coaches, I really got to spend a lot of time with them," O'Neil said. "I feel like I mesh well with them personality-wise. I'm really excited to just be there.
"I don't like taking trips. I like to be at my house. I'm excited to make that be my home because I think it's just going to be a whole lot of fun. I think it's going to be what I need to fulfill my potential."
Building relationships with the rest of Notre Dame's 2027 recruiting class was a major priority for O’Neil coming into the trip.
"These are the guys that I'll hopefully be spending the next three to four years with," the Ramsey, N.J., native said. "I think it's so hard in college nowadays with transferring to build a special bond with your players like you do in high school.
"I know from these past couple years at Bosco, I love my teammates more than I can't even explain. It's a different kind of bond that you have. When you build a bond with your teammates, it makes it so much easier for you to go out there and trust each other. Football is a physical sport and it's hard to put your body on the line for people you don't really care about."
O'Neil spent much of the weekend with defensive coordinator Chris Ash, defensive line coach Charlie Partridge and assistant defensive line coach Chase Jones.
"They're really excited to coach me," O'Neil said. "There was nothing really different. It was just them being themselves really. There was no special message or anything. It was just like, ‘This is what it is.’
"They didn't put on an act for anybody. I'm glad that it's like that. I bet you there are places other people go to and they can see through the BS that the coaches put on or put on a mask for these kids to make it look like something. But I can see that at Notre Dame everybody's real. Everybody loves football and it doesn't really matter who you are. We're just going to have a lot of fun."
With his recruitment behind him, O'Neil's attention has turned toward his final season of high school football.
"We're actually on our dead week for Bosco right now, but I've just been focusing on my craft, trying to keep my weight up and I'm going to have a great year," O'Neil said. "I know that for sure."
College may be only a few months away, but his immediate goals remain close to his current home.
"I knew that this time would come, but I didn't know it would come this fast," O'Neil said. "Right now, I'm really focused on just getting better and putting on a show this year, showing everyone that I'm the best defensive end in New Jersey, the best defensive end in America.
"I can't wait to go to Notre Dame, but right now I'm more focused on getting better every single day and doing whatever it takes to get there."
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