Commitment breakdown: Notre Dame lands DE Aiden Gobaira

Aiden Gobaira did not want to drag his recruitment out when he saw the opportunities he had. The defensive end Chantilly, Va. took a trip up to Notre Dame last week and knew that he wanted to play his college career in South Bend.

Penn State looked like the early favorite for Gobaira but the Fighting Irish were able to win him over with their relationships, opportunities on the field, and track record developing players with similar skillsets.

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Gobaira is a big, explosive edge player that can get into the backfield on a consistent basis but he also possess the athleticism to play in space when needed. As a sophomore, Gobaira played mostly with his hand in the ground but wasn’t slowed down by offensive linemen that were sometimes bigger than him. Now at 235-pounds, Gobaira was smaller and not nearly as strong last year but you wouldn’t know it when watching the film. He also has pretty advanced hand techniques and understands pass rushing philosophies when should really help him make an impact early in his college career.

Gobaira’s quickness and motor also make him an impressive prospect. There aren’t many players at his size that can change directions as fast as he does. The Fighting Irish strength and condition staff will have plenty of room to fill out his frame with solid muscle mass and keep him as fast and agile as the coaches need him to be in the open field.

Notre Dame is looking for athletic edge players in this recruiting class and they got a good one in Gobaira. After seeing development from him over the summer, a football season in the fall would have been a great opportunity to improve his rating. Obviously, that will likely have to wait until after he plays his junior season this spring. Expect the Notre Dame coaches to try to keep Gobaira as fast and agile as possible in an effort to make him an effective edge player. They need him to get after the quarterback but also help in coverage a bit. Gobaira certainly has the frame and the athletic potential to do so.