Irish Commit Keanaaina On Relationships, Helping ND Recruit

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Mullen (Colo.) defensive lineman Aidan Keanaaina committed to Notre Dame back in February.

Keanaaina spoke exclusively with BGI about his early pledge, recruiting others to South Bend and more.

EJ: Before we get into recruiting, how has your offseason been going so far?

AK: Well, we have workouts for our team, and I’ve been trying to be a senior leader. You have to show the freshmen and be a leader for your guys. I do some extra training down at Six Zero Strength, which is ran by (former NFL player) Matt McChesney. We do football work with offensive linemen and competition. Some of the best players in the area go to him for his work. I can get great competition, and we go in the film room and work on board work and plays. It helps me with my game.

EJ: How helpful is it to work with a former NFL player and how do you try to pick his brain?

AK: It’s fun but interesting. He’s hard on you. He’s a very unique guy. He’ll express what he’s thinking. He won’t hold anything back. That’s what you get in some coaches. If you learn how to deal with him, you can deal with any coach. He played defense going into the NFL then got switched to offense like a year in, so he’s been on both sides. To know what an offensive lineman is thinking is interesting. If you know what your enemy is doing, you have the upper hand against him.