Recruiting success usually involves hard work, patience, personal commitment, confidence and a touch of faith. Recent football success, coaching stability, visualize how a recruit fits into schemes, playing time and interaction with current players and other recruits may be other ingredients for success.
Mix in the intangibles - a national subway alumni, the values of the university, a legacy interwoven with the history of college football and a tangible magic.
For Aaron Lynch, one of the nation's top defensive ends, every one of those ingredients combined for him to commit to Notre Dame today.
The 6'6", 255# Lynch from Island Coast High School in Cape Coral, Florida, is Notre Dame's twenty-second commit for the 2011 class. Aaron will combine with Stephon Tuitt, Brad Carrico and Tony Springmann as the kind of defensive ends Bob Diaco is molding for his 3-4 defense. Notre Dame commits Aaron, Stephon and Ishaq Williams led a fearsome defense for the East in the Army All-American game as Aaron recorded 2.5 sacks, perhaps forecasting the impact they may soon have in South Bend. Irish fans have visions of Lynch, Tuitt, Carrico and Springmann controlling and pressuring along the D-Line and Williams, Councell, Rabasa and Grace roaming free as quick, powerful linebackers.
Aaron, a Florida native, after an initial commitment to Notre Dame, found it hard to leave the Sunshine State and considered the Big Three schools, visiting Florida and Florida State before committing to the Seminoles. Tony Alford, who had formed a strong relationship with Aaron, reconnected with him. Yet in the end, with all the factors still come down to being very personal.
Michael Floyd this week described his feelings about Notre Dame: "This place has been an incredible home to me and the relationships I built here are ones I know I’ll have for the rest of my life."
Aaron's mother, Alice, describes his decision to play for Notre Dame this way to Irish Sports Daily: "This is who he loved in the beginning. This is where his heart was and where it’s always been. Now he’s just going back to his first love." For Aaron, there is no place like Notre Dame.
Welcome to the family, Aaron. We are all truly blessed.