Blue and Gold Illustrated

March 2014

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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Since 2011, when the Irish signed coveted defensive line recruits Ste- phon Tuitt and Aaron Lynch (and Louis Nix III the year before), the Irish have been relatively quiet at the posi- tion. In 2012, defensive end Sheldon Day and nose guard Jarron Jones were inked by Notre Dame. A year later, defensive ends Isaac Rochell and Ja- cob Matuska pledged to the Irish. The foursome did not receive the fanfare and hype of those in the 2011 class, making 2014 an important class in quantity and quality. "It was very good profiling for us in terms of the right fit here at Notre Dame, and a 315-pound defensive lineman is a pretty good fit there, too," FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Mokwuah is much more than just large in size and a space filler … He is quick, athletic and can really rush the passer … He's very strong and powerful, and tosses around his opponents with ease when he gets his hands on them … He's a very smart player and per his coach, he's very good with assignment football … He's only played two years of varsity football, so his upside and potential are high … Some feel he could end up moving to offensive tackle in time due to his impressive footwork and ability to bend, but Notre Dame looks at him as a potential impact player on the defensive side of the ball. Areas For Improvement Despite impressive stature, he's not as physical as one would like … He tends to arm tackle on film … He won't be the biggest or strongest player on the field in college initially, so that will be an adjustment for him … He has very good flexibility, but he needs to use that to his advantage … He has a tendency to get vertical too often and too quickly after the snap … Opposing offensive linemen will push him back with ease if he doesn't make that change to his playing style.

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