David Abiara came to his decision to commit to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish last week, and he took to Twitter to announce his big news on Friday afternoon.
“I told [the Notre Dame coaches] that I’m ready, and today I felt it was necessary for me to announce it,” the Mansfield (Texas) Legacy 2021 defensive end said. “I felt like that it was best for me and what I’m trying to accomplish. I knew it was the school for me, so there was no point in waiting any longer.”
The 6-4, 240-pounder told BlueandGold.com a few weeks back that he was planning to visit Alabama, LSU and potentially a couple others before making a decision. He also was hoping to visit Notre Dame for the March 20 weekend, but all of that was shut down when the NCAA enacted a dead period for the foreseeable future.
Abiara visited Notre Dame Feb. 1, and from that trip, he knew in his heart where he wanted to go.
“Yeah I wanted to go see some other places, but from early on, I had a good feeling that Notre Dame was the school,” Abiara explained. “My family is really proud of me and happy that the process is over.”
Notre Dame offered Abiara just two months ago. His commitment to the Fighting Irish did come together rather quickly, and a lot of credit has to go to Notre Dame defensive line coach Mike Elston for that.
“He’s a super chill coach and knows what he’s doing,” Abiara said. “He’s a great coach and down to earth guy. I can’t wait; it's going to be fun playing for him.”
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly helped seal the deal as well.
“He’s also a great coach and is super down to earth,” Abiara noted. “He never hesitated to call and talk to me. That was really big for me as well.”
Abiara has a message for Notre Dame fans.
“They’re getting a playmaker on and off the field. I’m excited to get there and make things happen. I’m dedicated to football — my craft and being the best I can be.”
The future of the recruiting calendar is very much in the air. Will there be any semblance of a spring evaluation period for coaches to hit the road and see prospects, which is supposed to run from mid-April to late May? When will recruits be able to take visits again?
There is a ton of uncertainty, but what should be expected is that programs in the Big 12 and SEC country will continue to flip Abiara from his Irish pledge.
“I’m going to be respectful about it and see what [other coaches] have to say, but at the end of the day, go Irish,” Abiara explained.
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