Notre Dame has been looking for one more pass-rusher in the class of 2021 and was able to secure a commitment today from Oxnard (Calif.) Pacifica three-star defensive end Devin Aupiu. The 6-6, 225-pounder was previously committed to UCLA, but the Fighting Irish coaching staff started recruiting him about a month ago, started pushing over the past few weeks, which included a scholarship offer on Wednesday, Nov. 25 directly from Notre Dame defensive line coach Mike Elston, and flipped his pledge earlier this week.
Aupiu joins a terrific group along the defensive line already committed to Notre Dame. The Irish secured an early pledge from four-star defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio. ND then went out and landed three-star defensive end Jason Onye, who could eventually move inside as well. Then the Irish picked up a commitment from former Nebraska defensive end commit Will Schweitzer.
This addition is a big one for a variety of reasons. On the field, Aupiu was outstanding as a junior. He had 62 total tackles, 12 pass breakups, 21 tackles for a loss, and 11 sacks last fall. Off the field, Aupiu is a tremendous fit, as we are told Notre Dame checks all of the boxes he is looking for academically.
In a story from Connor Morrisette from SBLive.com, the potential and upside of Aupiu is clearly highlighted by Pacifica head football coach Mike Moon. What type of player is Notre Dame getting? How good can he be at the next level? Moon believes the Irish landed a future difference-maker and offered up major praise.
“This dude is phenomenal,” said Moon to Morrisette, when asked about Aupiu. “In my opinion, he’s the second best edge guy in the 2021 class in California behind Korey Foreman of Corona Centennial. He’s a really humble kid. He doesn’t care about the stars and the rankings and all that stuff. You’ll see what our coaching staff has seen over the years this season. We have a running quarterback package and we’ll use Devin for that this season. He’ll be the guy that fills that role on the opposite side of the ball. He can also play receiver or tight end. On defense we’ll use him as a nickel guy, we’ll use him as a D-end and we’ll use him as an outside linebacker. He’s a game changer.”
All that said, it seems we won’t get to see Aupiu at Pacifica high school for his final high school season, as his current plan is to enroll early at Notre Dame in January. However, there is a possibility we get one more look at him prior to enrolling in South Bend. Aupiu has committed to playing in the Polynesian Bowl All-Star Game. If that game takes place, look for 247Sports to be on-site for the week-long workout.
As always, stay locked to IrishIllustrated.com for a ton of content surrounding the newest addition to Notre Dame’s 2021 commit list.
