Four-star OL Aamil Wagner in-depth on Notre Dame visit; what’s next?
Notre Dame has another offensive line spot or two left to fill in its 2022 offensive line class, and Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne tackle Aamil Wagner tackle is a key target. The four-star prospect officially visited over the summer and returned to South Bend, Ind. over the weekend to see the Irish knock off USC 31-16.
Wagner got to Notre Dame’s campus at about 3 p.m., 30 minutes ahead of a scheduled meeting with Irish head coach Brian Kelly.
“When I walked into the building, I saw a lot of coaches that I knew,” Wagner said. “I got a chance to see Coach [Mike] Mickens, Coach [Tommy] Rees and Coach [Jeff] Quinn before speaking with Coach Kelly. Coach Quinn gave me a big hug and checked up on me.
“The meeting with Coach Kelly went pretty well. We talked for about 10 or 15 minutes. We caught up to see how I’m doing and where I’m at [with recruiting].”
Other pregame activities included meeting other recruits, doing the player walk and touring the Notre Dame facilities. The game itself was a big highlight too.
“The game experience was really good,” Wagner said. “What impressed me most was that the other games I went to, it was relatively warm, which makes it easy for people to come to it, but it was frigid out for this one, but the stadium was packed and stayed until the end. It was amazing.”
Before Wagner left campus Saturday night, he had another conversation with Kelly and Quinn. He and other recruits were in the locker room after the game.
“The energy in the locker room was electric after getting that rivalry win,” Wagner added. “Seeing how amped the guys were and how passionate Coach Kelly was about the team win was a great experience.”
Wagner took all five of his official visits in June and has been going on unofficial visits this fall to visit his top schools, which consists of Maryland, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State. He hasn’t visited Maryland yet this fall but hopes to schedule that.
It’s crunch time in Wagner’s recruitment, and he’s had conversations with the Notre Dame staff about where the Irish stand and what’s next for him.
“Those conversations have been happening for a while, especially as time has gone on,” Wagner explained. “Notre Dame has done a great job of actively recruiting me instead of sitting back.
“Every couple of days, I’ll talk on the phone with Coach Quinn, and he’ll say, ‘What do I need to do to get 59 (Wagner’s jersey number) in South Bend?’ Notre Dame has always done a good job of staying in the hunt.
“I definitely like the school a lot. Notre Dame has done a great job of recruiting me from the academic, religious and culture aspects, and now I got to see the culture in action with the game day experience.”
Wagner’s current plan is to announce his commitment at the All-American Bowl in January, but he is considering pushing up his timeline.
Rivals ranks Wagner as America’s No. 202 player and No. 23 offensive tackle in the 2022 cycle per Rivals.
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