Elite Offensive Lineman Charles Jagusah Recaps Notre Dame Visit, Next Steps
Notre Dame welcomed the No. 1 ranked offensive tackle to South Bend this past Saturday and the expectations of Rock Island (Ill.) Alleman Catholic star Charles Jagusah were met. Jagusah, who is a five-star player according to On3, has just begun to ramp up his recruiting process after choosing to take a break from everything after winning the IHSA 1A state wrestling championship.
“The two seasons (football, wrestling) were super long," Jagusah told Irish Breakdown. "I needed to kind of detox and take some time off. Plus, I was banged a little bit. It felt good to just relax.”
Getting to the Notre Dame campus was clearly a priority, and Jagusah wanted to see the Irish coaching staff in action. Getting to spend time with line coach Harry Hiestand was impactful.
“This was the longest I’ve had an opportunity to speak with Coach Hiestand," Jagusah explained. "He talked to me about his coaching principles and how he stresses that the o-line is a unit working together.”
After spending time with Hiestand, Jagusah took some time to view the campus before heading back to check out practice. He was accompanied by his high school coach Fritz Dieudonne on this visit, and they both got to see the campus differently this time.
“The campus was a little more low key," Jagusah detailed. “Of course, it was a Saturday, but we had more time to really soak everything in and enjoy it more this time.”
The practice was fierce according to the young lineman, with both sides of the ball being physical. Jagusah made it his business to stay focused on what Hiestand was saying during drills and the scrimmage, but it was something out of the ordinary that impressed him the most during the highly competitive scrimmage.
“I loved how the o-line plays together as a young group," noted the Bishop Alleman standout. "But I was really impressed with how the twos played. That shows how prepared they are when they get their opportunity, and that says a lot”.
That energy continued after the practice as Jagusah joined the offensive line group for a meal at on campus venue overlooking everything. What Hiestand stressed at the beginning of his visit had materialized right before his eyes. There he was in the midst of the offensive line walking campus, talking about life and enjoying every minute of it.
“The offensive line really does travel as a group, and that’s pretty cool," Jagusah said. "You can tell they’re like a family.”
After the visit, Jagusah felt sure that he could see himself going to school in South Bend, but the process is only nearing the cutdown stage as Jagusah prepares to shut things now that his latest visits are complete. He doesn’t expect to take anymore visits before the next open period, but he plans to release his top 5-8 schools in two weeks. He assured Irish Breakdown that Notre Dame will be on the list, and he’s looking forward to the next step of his process, which includes getting his mother involved.
“It’s hard to get my mom away from everything she has going on at home," Charles discussed. "Notre Dame made it clear that they want to get her to campus soon, and we’ll make that happen."
Jagusah has been honest about his admiration for Notre Dame and how they made him a priority in recruiting during the January contact period, with Hiestand visiting Alleman Catholic the day after he was officially hired by the Fighting Irish. Those things have definitely made an impression, but he intends on keeping things at his own pace.
Once he releases those 5-8 schools, Jagusah won’t be rushed to make a final decision. The plan is to involve his mother in the process to see which schools and staffs she’s comfortable with. After that, the plan is to approach a final decision before the start of his senior year if all things go well.
“I hope to have a decision by the start of the football season," Jagusah told Irish Breakdown. “There always moving parts to things, and if I’m not ready to make a decision, I don’t have a problem waiting until the fall.”
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