2019 DE Aeneas DiCosmo Got A Surprise Presentation At Notre Dame
On Sunday morning, 2019 Bergen Catholic (N.J.) defensive end Aeneas DiCosmo said Notre Dame defensive line coach Mike Elston made a massive impact on him during his official visit to South Bend over the weekend. (Post-Official Visit Update: 2019 DE Aeneas DiCosmo)
DiCosmo went in-depth on his official visit on Sunday night to explain how Elston made the impact on him and it started with opening up his home during the visit as he hosted three recruits and several players.
“The hospitality he and his family show towards his guys is pretty awesome,” DiCosmo told Irish Sports Daily. “He has a great relationship with all of them. He makes sure to spend time with them outside of football, and that’s important in maintaining a relationship with a coach you’re going to be around all the time.
“It was Kofi Wardlow, the Ademilola twins, Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, Alohi Gilman, David Ojabo and Asa Turner. We ate some pizza, played some shuffleboard and listened to music. It was a great night.”
The chance to bond with Elston and members of the team made a positive impact, but head coach Brian Kelly’s message also resonated with the 6-foot-3, 217-pounder.
“Coach Kelly let me know Notre Dame would be a great fit for me, and I’m one of the pieces they would like for this defensive class,” DiCosmo stated. “He told me at the end of the day, regardless of what school, I have to make the best decision for my family and me.”
The hospitality continued as Kelly hosted the eight official visitors and their families to his lake house on Saturday night.
“It was definitely a blast,” said DiCosmo. “All the other recruits and a few of the players went on one of his boats and were speeding around in that on the lake. It was a little party with some of the residents over there.”
DiCosmo enjoyed getting to know the coaches better and seeing how they interacted with their players away from the field, but the most significant part of the visit was seeing Notre Dame’s plan for him academically.
The Bergan Catholic star wants to major in Business and minor in Mandarin.
“Notre Dame has the whole Business aspect,” explained DiCosmo. “They’re really big on Business, and then the media is pretty well connected with NBC, so that was cool to see. They have a lot of stuff going on there.”
DiCosmo has met big-time coaches coast to coast, but Notre Dame had a significant surprise for him.
“I got to speak to the Dean of the Business School, which was great,” DiCosmo said. “The time he took to show me everything – he made a whole presentation for me was pretty meaningful.
“He’s not affiliated with the team and it meant a lot for him to meet with me."
While he was at Stanford, DiCosmo learned about International Relations as a potential major and Notre Dame wanted to make sure he knew they had their own unique international opportunities.
“I got a great look at it,” said DiCosmo. “They do a lot of stuff outside the country. There is a three or four-week chunk during the spring where players have the opportunity to go overseas. Brandon Wimbush went to Russia, and a few players went to China. They had guys all over Asia and Europe.
“To have the chance to go college and new places to experience the world is a unique opportunity. It’s something I’d like to take advantage of.”
Notre Dame also made sure DiCosmo was well-aware of the tradition the program continues to build with its football program.
“I could definitely see myself there,” stated DiCosmo. “The biggest thing in comparing these schools, Notre Dame has been sold out every game since the 60’s or something. It’s absurd. To have such a fan base for so long, I think that’s awesome.
“Not everywhere has dedicated fans like that.”
It’s clear DiCosmo was impressed with what he saw on and off the field in the 48 hours he was around the Notre Dame program. However, is it enough to hold off Michigan and Stanford?
“I wouldn’t take the official visit if they didn’t have the potential to be there,” said DiCosmo. “I had to take an in-depth look, and I got a lot out of it.”
