Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/705594
BY MATT JONES In previous seasons, Norfolk (Va.) Lake Taylor High School defensive tackle Darnell Ewell has watched sev- eral teammates commit to Ohio State. And though the Rivals four-star had an offer from the Buckeyes, he made a visit to Notre Dame in June that prompted him to buck that trend. "I feel like I really fit in at Notre Dame," Ewell said in an interview with VirginiaPreps. "I'm not like everybody else; I'm a little different." Ewell chose the Irish over finalists Alabama, Clemson, Michigan and Ohio State, announcing his decision July 15 in front of friends and family at Lake Taylor. Landing Ewell gave Notre Dame 16 pledges in the 2017 class through July 18, including seven recruits in the Rivals250. The 6-4, 295-pounder is expected to be a defensive tackle at Notre Dame, but he is open to other positions if it helps the Irish. "On defense, I'm willing to play wherever I'm needed," Ewell said. "I'll go at defensive end … I'll go at de- fensive tackle, I'll go on offense — it doesn't matter. "I'm going to do whatever they tell me. I can play both sides of the ball … so it's a two-way good deal they got." Lake Taylor coach Hank Sawyer said one of Ewell's best qualities is his "coachability." "He's a defensive player in college, no doubt about it," Sawyer said. "… A lot of times when we take him out at practice or in the game, he says: 'What do you want me to do?' I say, 'I want you to stand here and calm down and just rest.' "There's one motor, and he thinks when he's in there he's supposed to be high speed." Rated as the No. 4 player in Virginia, the No. 8 defensive tackle in the class of 2017 and the No. 125 prospect nation- ally by Rivals, Ewell said it was a visit to South Bend in late June — a trip that also included stops at Michigan and Ohio State — that sealed it for him. "I really picked Notre Dame be- cause it was different from any other school," said Ewell, who was offered a scholarship by defensive line coach FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Darnell Ewell's game is all about power … He is an elite run defender whose game is ideally suited for defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder's defense … At 6-4 and 295 pounds, he already has the size and strength to play at the Football Bowl Subdivision level … His upper body is highly developed, and he has a powerful and muscular build … He is a high- effort player that gets very good movement off the ball … He has the size and power to play the nose guard spot, and the quickness off the ball to play defensive tackle. Areas For Improvement He is not a top-level athlete, and lacks open field speed and lateral quickness … He can collapse the pocket in the pass game, but he lacks the necessary pass-rushing repertoire to rack up a lot of sacks … Has inconsistent footwork, and that causes him to play high at times, something that must be corrected. — Bryan Driskell COMMITMENT PROFILE DARNELL EWELL