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Irish add 12th commitment

Notre Dame's recruiting class for 2011 is an even dozen now.

The Irish received an oral commitment from Ben Councell of Asheville, N.C., according to reports.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder, who plays linebacker at Reynolds High School, is the Irish's 12th commitment.

CBS College Sports analyst Tom Lemming rates Councell as a four-star prospect, according to the South Bend Tribune.

"He's a tall, athletic defensive end," Lemming told the paper. "Notre Dame is really excited about his athletic ability, his upfield surge and his potential as a defensive end."

Rivals.com rates Councell a three-star prospect and the No. 23 weak side defensive end prospect nationally.

Councell, who also drew interest from Georgia Tech and West Virginia, told IrishIllustrated.com that Notre Dame felt like the right fit after he visited the campus last week.

"It was a great visit up at Notre Dame, but I was thinking about how every visit I've taken thus far that coming out of it I'd been thinking, 'Wow, this is the place for me,' "Councell told the website. "My dad knew that I liked it, but he wanted me to take a visit to Tech just to think about it. So I visited Tech and loved it, but it just wasn't the place. Notre Dame just had a lot more pieces that fit me."

2011 NOTRE DAME ORAL COMMITMENTS

Kyle Brindza, K, 6-2, 195, Plymouth, Canton, Mich.

Clay Burton, DE/LB, 6-3, 230, Venice, Venice, Fla.

Brad Carrico, DE, 6-6, 255, Coffman, Dublin, Ohio

Ben Councell, DE, 6-5, 225, Reynolds High School, Asheville, N.C.

Matthias Farley, Ath, 6-1, 185, Christian, Charlotte, N.C.

Jarrett Grace, LB, 6-4, 235, Colerain, Cincinnati

Connor Hanratty, OL, 6-4, 305, New Canaan, New Canaan, Conn.

Eilar Hardy, DB, 6-0, 170, Pickerington Central, Pickerington, Ohio

Matthew Hegarty, OL, 6-5, 265, Aztec, Aztec, N.M.

Ben Koyack, TE, 6-5, 230, Oil City, Oil City, Pa.

Jordan Prestwood, OL, 6-6, 265, Plant City, Plant City, Fla.

Tony Springmann, DE, 6-6, 257, Bishop Dwenger

The Journal Gazette's Assistant Sports Editor Tony Krausz covers The University of Notre Dame. Krausz, a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and a native of St. Louis, has been assistant sports editor since October 2005. Prior to joining the JG, he worked at two papers in Mississippi covering high school and college athletics.

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