Jaiden Ausberry Is A Perfect Fit For Notre Dame
Notre Dame received a huge news on Thursday with the commitment of Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab linebacker Jaiden Ausberry. The Louisiana native chose the Irish over other finalists that included Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Florida, Texas A&M and Auburn. This is a massive victory in the 2023 class for Notre Dame, continuing their historic two year stretch at the linebacker position since Marcus Freeman joined the program.
Not only is the staff getting a fantastic player but Ausberry is also a tremendous person who brings a substantial amount of leadership qualities to the table. To get the full scope of the quality of person heading to South Bend, Ausberry’s head coach at University Lab, Andrew Martin, took the Irish Breakdown staff behind the scenes to see what makes the dynamic defender tick.
For a high school that has consistently put out high level talent on the next level, Ausberry continues to stand out from the rest of the crowd.
“Anytime that you are a four-year starter, there are going to be eyes on you,” Martin said. “We have had the great fortune of developing a lot of good football players and Jaiden can stack up with any of them. His instinct and intelligence is really what separates him.”
One of the most recent University Lab alums is former Alabama linebacker Christian Harris, a three-year starter for the Crimson Tide that was recently a third round draft pick of the Houston Texans (75th overall)
Attending school on LSU’s campus, as well as his dad, Verge, serving on the Tigers staff, the connections to the program are something that has been overanalyzed for a long time now. Ausberry was painted as a recruit who may have an allegiance to the program, but that wasn't the case. In reality, they were just another school that Notre Dame was able to edge out.
“I really don’t think there was ever any pressure to go to LSU for him,” said Martin. “They did a good job recruiting him, just like all the other schools. Ultimately he picked where he felt most comfortable.”
Ausberry tackled the process as well as one could expect from a 17-year old young man. For him, the relationships were obviously important. Seeing the campus and envisioning himself as a student was another huge criteria. The visit circuit really did wonders to sort out all of his potential suitors.
“Getting to take those visits was huge for him, especially the officials,” Martin explained. “He would go take a look at a school and from there, he would quickly be able to figure out if he wanted to take a deeper look. That’s what the officials were for. Jaiden wanted to make sure that it wasn’t just a quick decision, he wanted to make a calculated one to see if he fit well. That’s what was most important.”
Anytime a player is making a dramatic transition culturally, it becomes a huge talking point. Obviously the differences between Baton Rouge and South Bend are stark. By all accounts, Ausberry should fit right at home.
“He’s going to do just fine making the transition,” Martin noted. “Jaiden is such a mature young man so he’s the guy to figure it out quickly. His maturity really shines through with everything he does and every decision he makes. From on the field and off it, he is going to fit in so well. He’s never going to cause any problems.”
As a person, Ausberry’s transition is an easy one. The academic aspect of the move should also be relatively easy.
“Our academics are crazy here so Jaiden is very well prepared for that transition,’ Martin continued. “He understands how to manage his time and knows what’s on the line. Him and his family value the education part of the opportunity tremendously.”
As a player, it is the easiest transition of all. While Notre Dame plans to employ him as a rover early, Ausberry has the type of athletic profile to potentially project to multiple spots in their defense. It is all about how he develops.
“It really depends on what his body does,” Martin explained. “Jaiden is a really, really good athlete and he’s already starting to fill out his frame. I could see him working anywhere from safety to rover, and even as an inside linebacker on the next level. He’s also an incredibly smart player on top of obviously being talented.”
The University of Lab and Baton Rouge community is busy celebrating Jaiden’s accomplishment.
“Everyone around here is just so proud of him,” Martin said. “We are all really excited for his accomplishment and for him to get to put recruitment behind him. This community has had a lot of players make that transition and they always do a tremendous job making each student feel appreciated. It really hasn’t been a distraction at all but I know Jaiden is happy to finally get it settled where he wants to be.”
Over the last couple of months it became more and more apparent how seamless this fit was from both sides. For Ausberry, he gets a chance to compete for national championships while getting an Ivy League level education. He also gets the wonderful relationships that he has already developed with the players and coaches in the Notre Dame program.
For the Irish, they get a dynamic athlete and overall tremendous young man. They get the future leader of their defense.
Ausberry is ranked as the nation's No. 38 overall player by ESPN and he's ranked No. 80 nationally by Rivals. Both have the talented Louisiana native ranked as the fourth best linebacker in the country.
The 6-1, 215-pound defender has earned offers from Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas, USC, LSU, Florida, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Oregon, Tennessee, Auburn, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Minnesota, Missouri, Arizona State and West Virginia.
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