Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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38 AUGUST 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY DAVID MCKINNEY Notre Dame picked up a com- mitment from Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day four-star Rivals250 outside linebacker Osita Ekwonu June 14. Ekwonu, the No. 9 inside line- backer and No. 181 overall player in the class of 2019 according to Rivals, was the 14th player to join the pro- gram's 2019 class. The standout line- backer took an official visit to Notre Dame on the weekend of April 13, and the Irish surged to the top of his leaderboard. "I knew Notre Dame was where I wanted to be after visiting the cam- pus three times and for a camp," Ekwonu said. "At the camp, I worked with [defensive coordinator] Coach [Clark] Lea, and I was there for a game so I could see the atmosphere." The North Carolina talent said the four trips to South Bend were crucial to his recruitment and helped him decide everything he learned about the Irish was too good to pass up. "Those visits had a huge impact on me and my family," Ekwonu ex- plained. "The history and tradition they have at a powerhouse school like Notre Dame is impressive and they are ranked for academics. The combination of the two put them over the top." Lea has been Ekwonu's main con- tact at Notre Dame throughout his recruitment process, and the two have built a strong bond. "Coach Lea is the primary coach I've been talking with," he said. "I first met him at the camp. Seeing how he coaches and talking with him has been great. "Football is the last thing we talk about. He's open to any discussion, and he cares about his players as stu- dents and wants them to be active members of society." Ekwonu said he's also been work- ing on building friendships with his fellow Irish commits, specifically the ones who joined him for an official visit weekend at South Bend in April. "I've been in contact with the guys I went on my official visit with, es- pecially NaNa [Osafo-Mensah]," Ekwonu said. "It will be cool to be able to play with them. "I've talked with Julian Okwara, too. He was coached by my coach, and it was good to talk to and relate to him." Ekwonu burst onto the national scene after a dominant junior season in which he racked up 101 tackles, three sacks and three pass breakups to lead Providence Day to the North Carolina Independent Schools Divi- sion I title game. The 6-2, 215-pound athlete and Rivals' No. 6 player in North Caro- lina also rushed for 600 yards and 13 touchdowns as a running back, earn- ing All-North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association honors for the second straight year. Entering 2018, Ekwonu had just one Power Five offer — from in-state Wake Forest. By the end of January, programs like Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan had all extended scholarship tenders. Ekwonu also earned offers from Alabama, Florida, Duke, North Car- olina State, North Carolina, North- western, Tennessee, Louisville, Geor- gia Tech, West Virginia, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Syracuse. Providence Day head coach Adam Hastings said the Irish are getting a terrific prospect in Ekwonu. "He's an aggressive player, and he's very athletic and long," Hast- ings said. "He's really developed into a guy that can play all over the field and has the special awareness to be a real force." Hastings said Ekwonu's nose for the football is one of the first things coaches notice when watching him in person. "He gets to the ball really well," Hastings said. "He's always looked the part physically, but then you see him all over the field chasing plays down with great effort and great in- tensity." Hastings said the four-star line- backer is just as special off the field as he is on it. "He comes from a great family," Hastings said. "He's very focused on becoming a great person and a great student-athlete. "He's quiet and keeps to himself a little bit, but once you get to know him and break into him a little bit, he has an amazing personality. He's a very caring and fun-loving young man." ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Osita Ekwonu is a rangy and athletic de- fender that has barely tapped into his im- mense potential … Has incredibly long arms, which makes him a hard target to throw around and improves his tackling ability … Plays with a nasty edge and is advanced for his age in pass coverage … Has powerful hands and shows explosiveness through his hips, traits that give him the ability to shed blocks and thrive as a tackler … Shows excellent speed; explodes downhill and his pursuit skills are top notch … Is a strong all-around athlete with quick feet. Areas For Improvement Still on the skinny side, and needs to con- tinue to build up his frame and add strength … Raw from a technique standpoint … Willing tackler, but must improve his base and tech- nique in this regard. — Bryan Driskell COMMITMENT PROFILE OSITA EKWONU North Carolina Linebacker Finds Opportunity At Notre Dame Ekwonu, Rivals' No. 181 overall player in the country, chose the Irish June 14 over offers from Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and several others. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM "The history and tradition they have at a powerhouse school like Notre Dame is impressive." EKWONU