Geaux Irish!
On Thursday, 4-Star linebacker Jaiden Ausberry announced his commitment to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a CBS broadcast from his high school. The 6’1” 210 pounder from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, chose the Irish over a strong list of finalists that included the LSU Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies, Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, and the Michigan Wolverines.
Jaiden’s father played for LSU in college, and his brother Austin will be a freshman football player for Auburn this season.
Ausberry is a border-dweller of most Top 100 players, although both 247 Sports and On3 dropped him down around 200 for no real reason. His 247 Composite ranking still has him as the 105th player overall, and the On3 Consensus has him at 118.
Instinctive linebacker whose field vision allows him to play fast.. Keys and diagnoses faster than everyone on the field. Excellent trigger and ability to sort through the trash to meet ball carriers in the hole. Measured at around 6-foot-0.5, 205 pounds with a 31.75-inch arm prior to his senior season. Lacks ideal length and will need to add mass throughout his frame to play in the box consistently. Looks to have strong intangibles which will allow him to see the field sooner than most. Ran an 11.67 second 100 meter time and jumped a 20-foot-2 long jump during his junior track and field season. Could develop into an every down defender once he grows into his frame. Plays his high school ball in LSU’s backyard. Father, Verge Ausberry, played linebacker at LSU in the late 80’s and currently acts as LSU’s Executive Deputy Athletic Director.
Ausberry is the 21st commitment of the 2023 class and the lone representative of the state of Louisiana in what has become a 15 state class. Regardless of what rankings drop he received over the offseason, he’s one of the elite prospects in a state that produces a ton of top talent for college football.
The Irish currently have 6 linebackers within the 2022 and 2023 class after two straight years of taking only one. The depth and talent buildup at the position will be one of the real strengths defensively in the future.
Jaiden Ausberry is one of those blue-chip recruits that Notre Dame (and the rest of the country) was in on very early thanks to his family lineage. He was labeled as a top prospect and targeted as such by the Irish — and now he’s coming to South Bend (AND definitely not with the Tesla fam-u-leeee).