Brady Aiello can’t put a finger on it. To this day, he doesn’t recall why he decided to hang up his pads and quit football right before the start of his junior-varsity season. But for Aiello, a 6-foot-7 offensive tackle from Acalanes High School in Lafayette, California, making the return to football has become one of the smartest decisions he has ever made. Since returning to the gridiron, Aiello has received four Division I scholarship offers and committed to play at the University of Oregon.

Aiello caught up with the Emerald to discuss the recruiting process, the status of the Oregon offensive line and the pass-rusher he wishes he could face.
How did your relationship with Oregon begin?
At the end of January, basically, my coach tweeted out my highlight film. Coach Joe Bernardi, the assistant offensive line coach at Oregon, kind of came across my highlight film and basically said we’re kind of interested in this guy. Their three-day camp was coming up and I was messaging coach Bernardi on Twitter and he basically told me if I came up (for the camp) I could possibly walk away with an offer. I couldn’t turn that down. So, my parents and I went up and I ended up coming back with a scholarship offer.
What was the biggest reason for you committing to Oregon?
It was everything pretty much. When we were up there, we got a tour of the facilities and one could easily just say “yes” on the football side alone. It’s really attractive to recruits. But I didn’t just look at it from a football side. I picked it because of the academics and all the sports you get. I could just see myself really going there as a student and not just as a football player.
Is being recruited a humbling feeling for you?
Yes, definitely. It came on to me really quickly. Coach Mike Ivankovich basically told me I had a shot to play Division I football after my junior season. I didn’t really have that much time to adjust in my mindset because it all happened so quickly. Coaches were coming every week, everyday and it was just hard to process. It got kind of stressful at times. This whole experience has been pretty awesome and I’m really grateful for it.
Have you noticed all the injuries the Oregon offensive line has had to endure?
Oh yeah, I know. It has been hard to watch that.
Is it a testament to coach Greatwood’s ability to see all these guys come off the bench and play well?
It basically shows that it’s not just the starting five. There are many people that can play and many people that’ll have a shot later in games. Everyone is up there skill wise and it shows great coaching from Greatwood.
Is there a pass-rusher in college or the pros that you wish you could go up against and why?
Umm. Let’s say Aldon Smith. He’s so lanky, so fast and so quick off the edge, which is always such a hassle.
Follow Joseph Hoyt on Twitter @JoeJHoyt