Coach: 2019 DE Aeneas DiCosmo Is A Relentless Player

Vito Campanile wasn’t on the Bergen Catholic High School staff last fall, but he was definitely keeping tabs on the program even before taking over the head coaching job this offseason from his brother, Nunzio Campanile, who is now the running backs coach at Rutgers.

And that means he was closely monitoring 2019 Bergen Catholic defensive end Aeneas DiCosmo‍.

“Obviously, my brother was head coach and I had a lot of insight into what goes on here and followed them real closely and we talk almost every day,” Campanile said. “Aeneas is a guy from my hometown, so I’ve known him since he was a kid. I played high school ball with his dad. He’s just a super person.”

DiCosmo comes across as an extremely mature young man and his new coach says that’s because that’s exactly who he is.

“He is what you get, he really is,” Campanile said. “I like to say he’s a holistic student-athlete. Academics is just as important as football to him and football is really important to him. He’s an all-in kid. He’s a humble kid.

“He’s not a kid who expects or wants special treatment because of his ability. He wants to outwork people. He’s a worker, he’s a pleaser. He’s a guy who shows tremendous leadership with his peers. He’s everything you look for in a high school football player.”

And as gifted as the 6-foot-3, 217-pounder is, his greatest asset may be his attitude.

“More than anything, the thing that really jumps out to me is that he’s a relentless player,” Campanile said. “He plays harder than just about anybody. Obviously, he has great God-given ability. His speed, his strength and size are phenomenal. The things that jumps out most to me are the effort and energy he plays with.

“I think it is rare. With the top, elite-level guys, you do notice that with some of those guys, it’s easier for them to take plays off. They may not jump out as guys who play hard every single play. There’s an on/off button to those guys. I think he prides himself on not being that guy and that’s why he’s successful.”

Refusing to take plays off is as much about forming habits as anything.

“That’s exactly what he does,” his coach continued. “I think if you really watch him on film, no matter where the ball is, he’s running to it. If he’s playing offense, no matter where the ball is being run, he’s finishing blocks through the whistle and beyond. He’s great at that stuff.”

DiCosmo is focusing in on three schools with a decision expected this summer, Notre Dame, Stanford and Michigan.

Stanford may be considered by many to be the favorite at the moment, but he still has officials to Ann Arbor and South Bend in June that could easily change things.

His coach believes he could fit at any of the schools, including Notre Dame.

“I think whoever gets him will be blessed to get him,” Campanile said. “I think Notre Dame would be a great fit for him because a lot like he is, Notre Dame is the full package. Academics is incredibly important and football is obviously very important there. I think he’s a kid who fits what that school is all about.”

Notre Dame defensive line coach Mike Elston and defensive coordinator Clark Lea have both made stops at Bergen Catholic in recent weeks.

“I’ve talked with both of them on various occasions,” Campanile explained. “They’re doing a great job on their end. They always do. I think they put a great effort forward in letting Aeneas understand how important he would be to Notre Dame Football.”

Even though he’ll only get one season coaching DiCosmo, Campanile is looking forward to his chance in 2018.

“How could you not be?” he laughed. “You don’t get guys like that every year. I’ve been doing this a long time and there’s a handful of guys who have that talent out of the stratosphere and he’s one of those kids.

“We’ll do everything we can to get the most out of him. I know he’ll give everything he has to Bergen Catholic just like he has for the last three years.”