2023 tackle Elijah Paige sold on the whole package at Notre Dame

Going into last weekend’s official visit, Notre Dame wasn’t the school Phoenix (Ariz.) Pinnacle offensive tackle Elijah Paige had at the top of his list.

But the Fighting Irish changed that in a big way. So much so that he committed to Marcus Freeman and Co. on Friday over USC, UCLA, Washington, and Michigan State.

“Going into the visit, Notre Dame was one of my top schools, but not on top, so the visit really changed my mind,” Paige told On3. “I talked about it a lot with my family; it is not a four year decision, but a 40 year decision. And you get that with Notre Dame. That Notre Dame degree is something you cannot get from anywhere else, so that played a big role in the decision.”

Paige, the No. 24 offensive tackle in the On3 Consensus, has built strong rapport with veteran offensive line coach Harry Hiestand. The two hit it off even more over the weekend in South Bend.

“I love Coach Hiestand,” he said. “We got a lot of time to talk life and football. He is real, and I like that a lot. Coach Hiestand doesn’t tell you what you want to hear, but he tells you what you need to hear. He is very down to earth and someone I respect a lot. You look at the list of players he has put into the NFL, and that is crazy, too. From Quentin Nelson to Zach Martin to Ronnie Stanley — he coaches guys to get to the NFL. I am putting my trust in him to make me the best I can be, too.”

Elijah Paige informed Notre Dame on Monday

Paige was one of a small handful of official visitors on campus, and he got to spend quality time with both Hiestand and head coach Marcus Freeman, whom he says is ‘even a better person than he is a coach.’ That, coupled along with the chance to get more of a feel for campus and what the academic side of things offers to him, made it an easy choice.

“I just knew it was the place for me,” he added. “I knew that I would have that feeling when I visited one of these schools. After being at Notre Dame for about five hours, I had that feeling.

“… I called the coaches Monday and told them about my decision. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take the rest of my visits, but after coming home and thinking about it, I made my decision and gave them the call. No more visits, I’m locked in.”

Paige found exactly what he was looking for in both a school and a program, and now he joins Notre Dame’s No. 2 ranked class in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings.

“I committed to Notre Dame for multiple reasons,” Elijah Paige said. “It has tradition. Everyone knows about the degree. You get to play at the highest level. It is on national television every week. It is the perfect mix of both academics and football for me. It is different at Notre Dame.”