On3 five-star offensive tackle Charles Jagusah commits to Notre Dame football

Notre Dame’s hot streak of commitments continued Thursday morning, with Rock Island (Ill.) Alleman class of 2023 offensive tackle Charles Jagusah announcing his pledge to the Fighting Irish.

Jagusah did not formally announce a group of top schools before his commitment, but he took official visits to Arkansas, Michigan and Missouri along with Notre Dame in June. He took about a week after his final official visit — which was to South Bend — to make up his mind on a school.

“I’ve been thinking about it, and it was a tough decision, for sure,” Jagusah told Blue & Gold before announcing his pledge. “These schools offer different things, and it really came down to where Notre Dame’s program is at; they’re building something special.

“It’s a really good fit educationally for me, and even though I haven’t known Coach [Harry] Hiestand for a long time, he’s a legit dude and shoots straight with everyone. He’s someone I connected with well.

“The Michigan visit for sure went super well, but it came down to that I felt like the stability is more solid at Notre Dame, and I can see myself playing there.”

Jagusah woke up on Monday morning with the feeling that it was time to commit. Notre Dame has long been considered the team to beat for Jagusah, and he informed the Irish staff of his decision that morning.

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“I got on the phone with Coach Hiestand and then Coach [Marcus] Freeman,” Jagusah said. “They were pretty fired up. Coach Freeman said that this is the place that will help me not just in football but after football, too.”

On3 ranks Jagusah as a five-star prospect, and the No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 7 overall player nationally.

The On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, lists Jagusah as the No. 4 offensive tackle and No. 41 overall player in the land.

Jagusah is Notre Dame’s 16th commitment of the 2023 class and fifth offensive line pledge. According to On3’s own rankings, the Irish have two five-star commitments, with Jagusah joining Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep’s Keon Keeley, who On3 lists as the No. 1 EDGE and No. 3 overall player in the land.

More from Jagusah on his Notre Dame pledge

South Bend is about a four-hour drive from his hometown, so it’s not down the street, but it’s definitely a place that his family and friends can drive to fairly easily to see Jagusah play.

“It wasn’t the biggest part of the decision, but it’s definitely something I thought about,” he said of the distance.

The “Offensive Line U” label that Notre Dame carries and the academic prestige certainly helped the Irish land Jagusah as well.

“It was the right fit academically, and that was a big reason why I chose Notre Dame,” Jagusah said. “And when you have offensive linemen coming back all the time who are pro bowlers or future hall of famers, that definitely doesn’t hurt. I feel like Coach Hiestand is the guy to get me where I want to go to.”

Jagusah feels a weight lifted off his shoulders now that he has ended his recruiting process.

“It’s more relief than anything,” he said. “It’s nice to get it off my chest, have a plan and commit to it.”

The Charles Jagusah file

Jagusah is committed to playing in the 2023 All-American Bowl in San Antonio next January.

He had a perfect 41-0 season in the heavyweight class in Illinois and was the 2021 champion in the class A state tournament.

Jagusah was named the 2022 Quad-City Times Male Athlete of the Year. He is the first non-senior to be named the Male Athlete of the Year in more than a decade, per the QC Times.

“He is seriously so intelligent and detail-oriented and that’s the piece for me that sets him apart from everyone else,” Alleman head football coach Fritz Dieudonne told the QC Times. “Whether he is competing against somebody on the mat, or lining up against them on the football field, being able to decipher the code in real time and figure out how to get his advantage is his greatest strength.”

On3 compares Jagusah to 2020 first-round offensive tackle pick Tristan Wirfs, who the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected from Iowa.

“Jagusah’s physical dimensions, fluidity and multi-sport background reminds us of Wirfs,” On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power wrote. “Both also come from similar geographic areas — Jagusah lives on the Illinois and Iowa border in Rock Island, Illinois. Wirfs is from Mount Vernon, Iowa, just 73 minutes west of Rock Island.

“Jagusah plays on both sides of the ball as an offensive and defensive lineman, as Wirfs did. The coordination, balance and smooth movement patterns are also similar. The frame and length are close, as well. Like Wirfs, Jagusah is a dominant high school wrestler who cuts weight from the 300-pound range to get under the 285-pound limit for heavyweights. The 2023 prospect is one of the top wrestlers in the Midwest, recently finishing a 41-0 season on the mat. Wirfs had one of the best multi-sport profiles we’ve seen in recent years, winning a combined six state titles in wrestling and track and field.”