It’s not a major surprise, but it is a major piece to Notre Dame’s 2012 recruiting puzzle.
Will Mahone announced his verbal commitment to Notre Dame on Friday night, following his Fitch High School team’s Homecoming Game against Jackson.
The 5-foot-11, 215-pounder from Austintown, Ohio gives the Irish their first running back pledge and 16th verbal commitment in the Class of 2012.
The four-star ESPN prospect chose Notre Dame over his other finalists, Pittsburgh and Michigan State. He also had offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina State, Penn State, Purdue, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.
“Everything seems to be right there with the young team and the recruiting classes they have in 2012 and even 2013,” Mahone told Irish Sports Daily earlier in the week. “The running back situation is great there. I just don’t have anything negative to say about it.”
Mahone, who sat out his high school game on Friday night, is hoping to return to the field next week, but is also looking forward to continuing his career in South Bend.
“I’m just going to work hard and be a leader as much as I can on the field,” he said. “I feel like I can compete tremendously. Cierre Wood is a great running back too, I’m just going to go in there and try to compete.”
Mahone’s mother, Celia, did not hide the fact that she preferred he chose Notre Dame, but she wanted to make sure he made the decision for himself.
“She’s definitely excited,” Mahone said of his mother. “I made the decision on my own, not just for her or anybody else. The decision is mine and it is the best fit for me as a young man and as a football player.”
ESPN ranks Mahone as the nation’s 14th-best running back and he was ranked as the fifth-best uncommitted running back before announcing his decision.
Mahone, who will be back in South Bend for the USC game next month, took an official visit to Notre Dame for the Michigan State game and was blown away, but he admitted it was an unofficial visit to South Bend over the summer that was the real turning point in his recruitment.
Interestingly, that visit almost didn’t take place and probably wouldn’t have had it not been for another Notre Dame recruit, who ended up going elsewhere. Mahone and his mother were on an unofficial visit to Penn State, fresh off a trip to Michigan State, and exhaustion had them leaning toward cancelling the visit they had planned for Notre Dame.
Armani Reeves, who ended up committing to Penn State, met Mahone during his visit to Happy Valley. Reeves had been at Notre Dame during the summer and told Mahone how much he enjoyed the trip. Mahone decided to take visit and the Irish made a strong impression.
“Ever since my visit in the summer, I felt like it was the place for me,” he said.
Prior to eliminating the Nittany Lions, Mahone had trimmed his list to four schools – Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Penn State and Michigan State. He scheduled an announcement in August, but cancelled it only days later because he didn’t feel he was ready.
Now he is.
