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Newsstand: Notre Dame RT Aamil Wagner named finalist for Man of the Year

IMG_7504by: Jack Soble12/17/25jacksoble56

Notre Dame right tackle Aamil Wagner is a finalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, the Irish announced Tuesday.

The other two finalists for the award, which honors “exemplary leadership by a college football player” (per the team’s press release), are Indiana linebacker Aiden Fisher and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.

Wagner, a Fighting Irish captain, is an exceptional leader on and off the field. He is the president of the Notre Dame chapter of Uplifting Athletes, which “supports the rare disease community and their families through local outreach, events and fundraising.” He also volunteers at his local homeless shelter, senior center and church. As a student, Wagner is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and Notre Dame Christian Athletes.

Wagner has the admiration of Irish athletics director Pete Bevacqua, who shouted him out on the Dan Patrick Show on Dec. 8.

“Aamil Wagner, who’s one of the most impressive people I’ve met in my life,” Bevacqua said. “Hopefully, after he’s done playing football, I hope he runs for president one day.”

Wagner has a decision to make in the coming weeks, between returning to South Bend and entering the 2026 NFL Draft. He has one year of eligibility remaining and would most likely be late a Day 2 or early Day 3 pick if he declared.

Notre Dame Tweets of the day

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.

Love could be selected extremely high in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Best in the country.

Quote of the day

“Making the decision to attend Notre Dame was easy because of the people,” Love wrote. “From the amazing football support staff, to my fellow students – I could not have picked a better place for me to grow into the man I am today. It is with a wealth of gratitude, I will take the many experiences Notre Dame has given me and apply those lessons learned as I move onto the next level. I look forward to representing my family and Notre Dame in the NFL.”

— Jeremiyah Love

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