"Notre Dame Opened My Eyes" - 2019 S Litchfield Ajavon

Notre Dame hosted several important targets over the weekend, but on Monday, the Irish had one of its top targets on campus as 2019 safety Litchfield Ajavon made his way to South Bend.

"The visit went great," Ajavon told Irish Sports Daily. "Everything was just like I expected it to be and what I was looking forward to seeing. I was just excited to get on campus. I am glad I made the trip."

 The 6-foot, 185-pounder felt like a priority from the moment he stepped on campus to the moment he left. Area recruiter Clark Lea, defensive coordinator Mike Elko, and defensive backs coach Todd Lyght made sure Ajavon experienced everything he wanted to see and more.

"We got to campus around 2:00 p.m. and met with the coaches," stated Ajavon. "I met with Coach Lea and then went on a tour of the facilities, the campus, and the stadium.

"I had a meeting with Coach Elko and then met with Coach Lea again. Unfortunately, Coach Kelly was his Kelly Cares charity event, and I didn't get to meet with him. I got to meet Coach Lyght too."

Lea has been in contact with the four-star prospect and Ajavon was pleased to get to spend time with him.

"It was great to meet and talk with him for an extended period of time," explained Ajavon. "We talked about life more than we did about football. Talking about something other than football was good.

"Coach Lea, he is a cool dude. We connected a lot and shared some stories. It was fun, and I got to know him even more."

Ajavon was impressed with Lyght's background on and off the field. He was aware of Lyght's story but getting to hear directly from Lyght was powerful.

"We talked about football, but we talked about how the program helped Coach Lyght and how life was after his career," explained Ajavon.

"It was reassuring that hard work can get you anywhere and allows you to doanything. It was great to see somebody that went through what I could go through. He let me know if I had any questions about anything, I could give him a call. All of the coaches told me I was free to give them a call about anything."

The Episcopal (Va.) star then met with Elko and Ajavon seemed to connect with the first-year defensive coordinator.

"Coach Elko is a very upfront guy, and he tells you how it is," laughed Ajavon. "I had a lot of fun talking with him, and we watched some film. We talked about where I could potentially play if I came to Notre Dame."

The next part of the visit might have been the highlight for Ajavon. The staff took him to Notre Dame Stadium, which was something Ajavon had been looking forward to for quite some time.

"I got to go inside the stadium," said Ajavon. "I was able to check that off my bucket list. I loved the stadium and how intimate it felt.

"I also got to see the iconic 'Play Like A Champion Today' sign too. I felt like I was about to go on the field to play a game when I was coming down the stairs. It was fun, and it was something I had always wanted to do. I am grateful to have the opportunity to experience it."

Many prospects see the tradition and spirit of Notre Dame on their visit, but Ajavon felt the tradition and spirit when he took his campus tour.

The chance to see Notre Dame Stadium was a great moment, but the opportunity to experience a moment at The Grotto was incredibly meaningful to Ajavon.

"When I was touring the campus, I was in shock because the campus is so beautiful," Ajavon said. "It felt so surreal and peaceful. When we went to The Grotto, I got to light a candle and said a prayer. It was great to know there is a place you can go to have a little one-on-one time with God. I don't think you will see that at any other school.

"I felt I could connect with my spiritual side. I am a church guy and play the drums for my church at home. It might not be the same denomination, but it's the same God we are worshiping. It was good to see they encourage the spiritual side because we all need it."

Ajavon doesn't plan on narrowing down things to a top group or even committing for a while, but the Irish made a move on Monday.  

"I just really appreciated going to Notre Dame," said Ajavon. "I'm excited to go visit other schools, but Notre Dame is a place that has been on my list I have actually wanted to visit. It's not like somewhere I am just going to visit to see if it's the right school.

"I am taking my time with everything and not rushing it. Notre Dame opened my eyes a lot."