Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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54 JUNE/JULY 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER Playing for the Fighting Irish will be a little extra special for Darren Agu. The 6-6, 228-pound class of 2022 defensive end was born in Ireland and lived there for three years until moving to the United Kingdom. He had an opportunity to pursue his dream of playing college football in the United States by moving to the state of Georgia and playing at Rabun Gap Nacoochee, a boarding school situated in the northeast cor- ner of the state. Agu arrived in the Peach State in August 2020 and had a strong first season of 11-on-11 football. During seven games last fall, Agu caught 13 passes for 218 yards and five touchdowns. In limited reps on defense, he added 11 tackles, three sacks and one fumble recovery. He was trained for tight end, but wanted to try out defensive end last season as well. He showed tremen- dous potential as a pass rusher and worked on his craft in the offseason. Agu impressed Blue & Gold Illus- trated during a camp in the Atlanta area in late March. The Notre Dame staff saw footage of him from the event and an offer went out a few days later. The Irish officially dished out the scholarship to Agu on April 1 and im- mediately shot to the top of his list. He was considering taking official visits to Georgia Tech, Florida State, Penn State and Vanderbilt this summer — and Alabama offered on April 1 as well — but those trips will no longer be happening because Agu jumped on his opportunity from the Irish. "It's a huge offer; you can't pass up on it," Agu said about Notre Dame. "They could easily get someone else at my position, so as soon as I got the offer, I wanted to make it official as soon as possible. "I know that they're one of the best schools educationally, and they're doing well in football. It's one of the best options you can have." He informed the Irish staff of his decision on April 2 and announced his pledge one week later. "When I called Coach [Mike] Elston, he was with the rest of the staff, and they were all shouting with excitement," Agu said. "That was pretty nice." "It's an incredible academic school, great football program, playoff con- tender and there's going to be other kids around you who are in your same process," Rabun Gap Nacoochee head coach Joe Sturdivant said. "The differ- ence maker was the academic history of Notre Dame and his background. It just seemed like a great fit for him. "When Notre Dame calls you, you answer and you're happy. When they ask you to come, most people say yes. It's an elite education with elite athletics, and it has great coaches." Rivals lists Agu as an athlete be- cause he held offers at both tight end and defensive end. He's listed with a 5.7 Rivals ranking — the highest des- ignation for a three-star player — and is the nation's No. 27 athlete and the No. 47 player in the state of Georgia. Agu held 31 scholarship offers dur- ing his recruitment, including Auburn, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, Michigan State, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Penn State, South Car- olina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. "College coaches say I'm very ath- letic for my size," Agu said. "They think I can pass rush or drop into coverage." Agu is one of four class of 2022 prospects at Rabun Gap (Ga.) Na- coochee committed to a Division I school. Tight end Marlin Klein (Michigan) and defensive end Linus Zunk (Vanderbilt) are from Germany, while safety Coleman Bryson (Min- nesota) is a Georgia native. "He's a great athlete and great kid," Klein said of Agu. "He's definitely one of my best friends here. He's awe- some in the classroom as well." "I've seen him grow so much coming here — not only as a football player, but off the field too," Bryson added. "He works hard in the weight room too. He's dedicated and wants to go far. He has high standards for himself." ✦ FILM ANALYSIS "[Darren Agu is] long, athletic and can bend. He's got a motor that isn't going to stop. He's going to chase things down and continue after the ball. He's super aggressive and super raw. Everything you saw last year was pure instincts. He was practicing as a tight end and performing as a defensive end without much practice. "He has great instincts, has a knack for the ball and understands body position. He has the ability, solid footwork and athleticism to maneuver his body for whatever is needed. Those are skills that a defensive end needs." — Rabun Gap (Ga.) Nacoochee head coach Joe Sturdivant COMMITMENT PROFILE DARREN AGU Notre Dame Adds Ireland Native To Its 2022 Class Agu, who was born in Ireland and grew up in the United Kingdom, moved to the United States in August 2020 to pursue his dream of playing college football. PHOTO CHAD SIMMONS/COURTESY RIVALS.COM "It's a huge offer; you can't pass up on it. They could easily get someone else at my position, so as soon as I got the offer, I wanted to make it official as soon as possible." AGU ON NOTRE DAME