Notre Dame made an extremely strong impression on Quinn Carroll when the 2019 Minnesota offensive lineman visited South Bend for the Irish’s game against USC last October and it culminated in Carroll’s commitment on Tuesday night, but it’s what happened in the interim that led to the conclusion.
“Notre Dame had held a special place in my heart for a while after I visited there in the fall,” Carroll told KARE-11’s Randy Shaver on Tuesday night. “I never was fully committed in my heart. But after this official visit, I stepped on campus and remembered exactly what I was feeling months before and I knew it was the place for me.”
Carroll took official visits to Penn State and Virginia Tech before his last official to Notre Dame, just a couple weeks ago.
“It was a very difficult decision,” he said.
Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin were also included among the 6-foot-6, 290-pounder’s finalists.
“Each school offered something unique for me,” he explained on Tuesday night. “But when it boiled down to it, I felt called because of these three things: the faith-based school, the unique academic experience and the fact that I could go to Minnesota and follow my dad’s footsteps and that would be awesome or Virginia Tech like my brother, but I could create a new experience for myself, my friends and my family.
“Another thing that it comes down to is the intangible feeling. When you step on campus, you feel God calling you.”
Even though he ended the process relatively early, it was still a long one that started early and saw him receive more than 30 offers before it was complete.
“It’s been a whirlwind, but with the help of my family, friends and God, it’s been relatively cool,” he said. “It’s been a ton of fun and just a blessing. I never would have imagined this.”
His brother Collin played at Virginia Tech and helped from “day one.“
“My dad kind of let him take over as the guy who would help me with everything because I was a 16-year-old kid and didn’t really know what to do,” Carroll explained. “He had been through the process and been through a college football career, so he knew how to handle the coaches, how to handle the reporters and everything.
“He helped me tremendously and I couldn’t be more thankful for him. My whole family as a whole has been outstanding for me.”
Carroll knows he’s still likely to hear from other schools despite the announcement, but is confident his choice is final.
“With my decision, I’m solid,” he said. “So, if they want to text me, that’s up to them.”
The Edina High School star plans to sign with the Irish during the early December period.
“I feel like my mind is officially made up. I’ve kind of felt this way for a few days now, that I’m officially committed. I feel like committing around this time, May 1st, that I’ll have all of summer and all of fall to focus on Edina, win a state championship with Edina and after that, focus on my career in college.”
