Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/259072
BY ANDREW OWENS N otre Dame released a flurry of of- fers to defensive linemen late in the recruiting process, and finally found a match in Staten Island (N.Y.) St. Jo- seph By-The-Sea defensive tackle Pete Mokwuah. With the 6-4, 315-pound lineman's signature, Notre Dame checked the box on its list of needs with a large disruptor for the interior of the defen- sive line. "Pete was a great fit for us, in look- ing to augment our defensive line po- sition," Irish head coach Brian Kelly said. "We wanted to find the right pro- file young man. "He's Nigerian. We've had a great Nigerian connection here — [sopho- more linebacker] Romeo Okwara, [graduated linebacker] Prince Shembo, just to name a few, and then Pete was able to connect with a Catholic institu- tion." Mokwuah had been committed to Rutgers since May 1, 2013, but flipped to the Irish Jan. 24, just one week after receiving a scholarship offer. He vis- ited campus with his mother for an official visit Jan. 31. "It was the prestige of the school and the academics," Mokwuah said. "It's just a great fit for me. Meeting Coach Kelly was great. He seems like a genuinely nice guy, and a good coach and a good person. "I'm Catholic, and it's a Catholic school. That was big for me. Notre Dame is a special place, and I'm ex- cited to be going there." Notre Dame defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder began evaluating film of potential fits along the defen- sive line upon accepting the position, and Mokwuah is one player that caught his eye. "Coach VanGorder said he liked my size and my potential," Mokwuah said. "He's got a great background, and he knows what he's doing. You don't have to say much when talking about Notre Dame, but he said all the right things and I loved it. "We really hit it off right away, and he made me feel wanted. It was pretty cool to get that from Notre Dame." Late Addition Pete Mokwuah Fills Need On D-Line Mokwuah committed to Notre Dame Jan. 24, one week after receiving an offer from the Irish staff. PHOTO COURTESY DENIS GOSTEV