Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MAY 2025 33 BY MIKE SINGER Garner (N.C.) South Garner class of 2026 edge Ebenezer Ewetade an- nounced his commitment to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish April 5, choosing Marcus Freeman's program over other finalists Alabama, Georgia, Florida State and North Carolina State. Ewetade is considered one of the best pass rushers in the country, ranking as On3's No. 6 edge and No. 36 overall player nationally. He locked in his pledge to the Irish while he was on campus for a visit. "It feels like family there to me," Ewetade told Blue & Gold Illustrated a few days before his decision became public. "I've always been in close com- munication with them, even before they gave me the offer. They've been on my side through everything. Notre Dame is the best choice for me." Notre Dame had long been interested in Ewetade, making contact with him and his high school coaches several months ago. The Irish made a move for Ewetade during his first visit to South Bend at the end of January for their ju- nior day. Notre Dame continued to push for him throughout the spring, and de- spite him scheduling summer official visits with his top schools, he decided to end his recruitment early. "Coach [Al] Washington, Coach [Nick] Sebastian, Coach Freeman — they talk to me all the time and feel like family," Ewetade added. Both the academic and on-field fac- tors about Notre Dame were key to him picking the Irish. As cliché as it can sound, the university provided the best of both worlds for him. "Education is important to me and my family," he said. "If I want to succeed in my life, I need a good education, and Notre Dame is one of the best schools in the country. I can get a good degree to take me far after football is over. "On the field, they'll have me playing vyper. I'll mostly be rushing the passer and will drop back a little bit. That's something I'm learning now. And I'll be defending the run." There are eight months until National Signing Day for the 2026 class, and de- commitments for prospects are more common than ever. But don't expect that to be the case with Ewetade. "It's family," the 6-4, 220-pounder said. "I wouldn't go behind my fam- ily's back. As soon as it's official, it's official." Ewetade recently was on Notre Dame's campus with his high school teammate — offensive tackle Ekene Ogboko, a cov- eted Irish target in the 2026 class. They'll officially visit Notre Dame together in June, and Ewetade noted that he's going to try to get Ogboko to join him on the Fighting Irish commit list. Auburn, Miami, Ohio State and Penn State are just a few of the other schools on his long offer sheet. Ewetade had a tremendous junior season, totaling 82 total stops, 28 tack- les for loss, 10 sacks, 27 quarterback hurries, 4 forced fumbles and 1 pass defended in just nine games. His soph- omore season wasn't shabby either, notching 24 tackles, 8 stops for loss, 5 sacks and 1 forced fumble across seven contests. Last year was Ewetade's first full season as a varsity football player and second season playing on the defensive line. "I am really proud of his growth and development, and we are really encour- aged that a lot of teams have been able to see his upside," South Garner defen- sive line coach Brian Yarborough told Blue & Gold Illustrated. Ebenezer was named to the all-con- ference team for his efforts in 2024 and was a team captain. On the track, he has a personal best of 22.5 seconds in the 200-meter race. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE EBENEZER EWETADE Irish Beat Out Elite Programs For Pass Rusher FILM ANALYSIS "If you're going to talk about him [potentially] being a five-star, it's on how he swarms and the effort he plays with. He is raw with his fundamentals and technique, and he will get coached up like crazy by Coach Al Washington at Notre Dame. One thing that you cannot coach is effort, and he's relentless to the football. He swarms and is aggressive as can be. He's fearless with how he gets after it. "He's skinny but plays with some strength. … The traits are there to become an NFL football player down the road. He's raw but watch him run. He's going to be a young guy who might go to the wrong gap, but you're not going to care because of how hard he plays. "He's someone you can see getting on the field early in those dime packages at Notre Dame. Ewetade will speed-rush off the edge. He's a blast to watch. He's going to bring it to South Bend. This is awesome for Notre Dame fans." — Blue & Gold Illustrated football analyst Tim Hyde "If I want to succeed in my life, I need a good education, and Notre Dame is one of the best schools in the country." EWETADE Ewetade, the No. 6 edge and No. 36 overall player nationally per On3, picked Notre Dame over Alabama, Georgia, Florida State and others. PHOTO COURTESY ON3