Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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The recruitment of Brooklyn, N.Y., out- side linebacker/defensive end Ebenezer Ogundeko didn't take long to start moving once the spring evaluation period was un- derway. Notre Dame was one of the programs that traveled to see what he had to offer, visiting Jef- ferson High on April 29. "I hadn't really spoke to them much before that," the 6-4, 230-pound recruit said after Irish defensive coordinator Bob Diaco stopped at his school. "I've been talking to [sophomore outside linebacker] Ishaq Wil- liams actually. I was reaching out to him and heard back after Notre Dame offered. "I know they have a great tradition. It's a very disciplined program, and they always have a good schedule with tough competi- tion." Notre Dame Is Out Front For granted. New York Defender FOOTBALL RECRUITING EBENEZER OGUNDEKO ✪ ✪ ✪ No. 40 strongside defensive end in the land Position: Defensive End Ht.: 6-4 · Wt.: 230 40-Yard Dash: 4.74 247Sports Ranking: No. 4 recruit in New York and the Jefferson High School Brooklyn, N.Y. "It's all been a blessing," he said. "I like to stay humble, but it's been very motivational seeing these coaches come to watch me prac- tice. I just plan on working to get better every day." Ogundeko, who notched 79 tackles and 11 sacks in his junior season, commit- ted to Connecticut early in the process but decided to reopen his recruitment. He has now collected nearly 30 offers and was invited to the 2013 Under Armour All-America Game. Alabama, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Purdue and Tennessee all visited the Brooklyn native in April. While he's fielding plenty of interest and bringing national powerhouses to an area typically known for athletic ability on the hardwood and not the gridiron, Ogundeko is starting to map out a travel plan. "I'm going to visit Notre Dame in June The nation's No. 40 strongside defensive end plans on graduating early, so he's aware that his decision timeline will be moved up a bit. He's still evaluating his options and looking forward to taking visits, but the Irish have been able to move into a strong position at this stage of the process. "My top five are Notre Dame, Alabama, Syracuse, UConn and Florida, but I'm very, very interested in Notre Dame," Ogundeko shared. "They're the leader right now. … Notre Dame really caught my eye. "I'm looking for a program that will help or July," he said. "I haven't really taken any visits yet this spring, but I want to get to Ala- bama and Florida this summer too." He isn't taking the fast-moving process for me get better day by day and give me the best opportunity to make it to the NFL. There are a lot of factors that go into picking a school, but I want a program that can build and train me to be the best player I can be." He plans to take all five official visits before making a December decision. — Jason Sapp JUNE/JULY 2012 80