Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2019 45 2019 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY DAVID MCKINNEY A competitive spirit has been brew- ing inside Osita Ekwonu for a long time. The Notre Dame linebacker signee said no matter what he's doing, he's always aiming to do it better than anyone else. "I enjoy competing in everything I do, whether I'm in the weight room, in the classroom or on the field," Ekwonu said. "I look at the person next to me and I just try to outwork him." The four-star said that spirit started to manifest itself when he arrived at Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day for his freshman year. Providence Day is home to several Division I football prospects, and upon arrival Ekwonu was determined to become the most renowned. "I was coming in from middle school and I was coming to a high school surrounded by great talent," he explained. "I wanted to not just be like them, but be better than them. I started pushing myself to get as strong as I could." By the end of January 2018, pro- grams such as Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan had all extended scholarship offers. Ekwonu also eventually earned of- fers from Alabama, Florida, Tennes- see, West Virginia and several others. It didn't come overnight, but Ekwonu had arrived on the recruit- ing scene. However, he didn't get there on his own. "It was really about taking coaching from my parents and my coaches," he said. "I know they have my best interest at heart, so I took the time to listen to them as they helped guide me through the recruiting process. "They kept me focused on aca- demics as well and that really, really helped me." With offers starting to pile up, the support system Ekwonu had built around himself stepped in to guide him. "It was definitely hard," he said. "The big thing for me was making sure to take the time with my teach- ers and making sure they understood what I was going through. "It makes it a lot easier when you can build relationships with all your teachers." There will be a lot more toil await- ing Ekwonu when he arrives at Notre Dame, but he'll take some time to ap- preciate the culmination of the work behind him. "I was just talking to my mom about how amazing it's going to feel when I do the walk for the first time with the team," he said. "It's a dream come true to see all the work I've put in since freshman year after having no offers and being discouraged. "Seeing the all the opportunities I have now is really motivating and I'm looking forward to it." ✦ OSITA EKWONU LINEBACKER 6-1 · 220 PROVIDENCE DAY H.S. CHARLOTTE, N.C. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 232 15 9 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 175 15 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 385 23 17 STATISTICS • Recorded 90 tackles, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries as a senior. Also had 114 carries for 765 yards and 12 touchdowns. • Racked up 101 tackles, three sacks and three passes broken up during his junior campaign. Also rushed for 600 yards and 13 touchdowns. HONORS • 2018 Greater Charlotte Football Association's Linebacker of the Year • 2018 High School Butkus Award watch list • 2016 and 2017 All-North Carolina Indepen- dent Schools Athletic Association team ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Participated in the Rivals Three-Stripe Camp in Charlotte on April 21, 2018 RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on June 14, 2018. • Chose Notre Dame over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Michigan, North Carolina State, North Carolina, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State and others. • Primarily recruited to Notre Dame by defen- sive coordinator/linebackers coach Clark Lea. • Officially visited Notre Dame on April 13, 2018. NOTABLE • Born on Oct. 31, 2000. • Led Providence Day to an appearance in the North Carolina Division 1 title game in 2017. • Participates in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 4x100 relay, 4x200 relay and long jump for Provi- dence Day's track and field team. • He is friends with the family of Notre Dame defensive end Julian Okwara. 2019 PROJECTION • Ekwonu could be a special teams contributor as a freshman due to his length and athleticism, but will need time to develop as a linebacker. If he doesn't get work on special teams, a redshirt season is likely. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "Talk about a kid ready for this level. Osita Ekwonu has the elite traits that we look for in each of our players. You have to give a ton of credit to his family — they've prepared him for the big stage." Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Clark Lea coach: "He's an elite athlete with great twitch and explosion. Osita Ekwonu has the tools to dominate the perimeter and the versatility to rush the passer. He can make an impact on all phases of the game." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Ekwonu is a rangy and athletic player that has barely scratched the surface of his immense potential. He is listed at just 6-1 and 220 pounds, but has incredibly long arms and that is a weapon for him. "Ekwonu also shows powerful hands and ex- plosive hips, delivering more punishment than a player his size should be able to. It allows him to shed blockers effectively, and his length aids his tackling ability. "Ekwonu has excellent speed for a linebacker and shows quality short-area quickness, while his change of direction is a key asset." Osita Ekwonu Wants To Outwork Everyone Rivals rates Ekwonu as a four-star talent, the No. 9 prospect in North Carolina, and the No. 15 inside linebacker and No. 232 overall player in the country. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM