Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2017 57 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY COREY BODDEN For Notre Dame defensive end signee Kofi Wardlow, football is relatively new. Many recruits in the 2017 class began playing football in youth league or in middle school. Not Wardlow. The 6-3, 230-pounder started playing as a junior in high school after being a basketball player for much of his life. The three-star caught the attention of now head coach Joe Casamento during his junior campaign when Casamento was serving as the offensive coordinator at Washington (D.C.) St. John's College High. "He was a pain in the rear end on defense because he was everywhere," Casamento said. "So, I was telling them we have to get this guy a spot. I thought he would be an outside linebacker, but he is a good pass rusher as well. "I think that's another thing … he can play standing up or put his hand in the ground." Casamento saw the skill set Wardlow brought to the table early on, but thought playing time could be limited given his experience in the game of football. "I thought he would be a BCS kid, but I wasn't sure how good he could be right away," the coach noted. "We have some very good players here and I was worried if he would get on the field. The other defensive end has 40 offers and a couple kids behind him are younger kids and have been playing football for a while and are good. "I wasn't sure at first he would play and succeed. He's done a really good job. I wouldn't say surprising, but he's done as well so far as I would have expected." Wardlow recorded 84 total stops, 28.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks this past year as a senior. Not too shabby for a player with limited experience. " T h a t ' s p re t t y i m p re s s i v e , " Casamento said of Wardlow's impact at St. John's. "We have some great players here. … We didn't ask him to do more than he could do. We brought him along and kept him confident and he's very, very coachable. "I think the more success he had the more confident he got, the faster he grew. After a while in the summer he worked so hard, I was pretty confident he was going to be very solid. It's a credit to his work ethic and a credit to his persistence." Wardlow inked with Notre Dame on National Signing Day after being a Maryland commit since mid- December. ✦ KOFI WARDLOW DEFENSIVE END 6-3 · 210 ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE H.S. WASHINGTON, D.C. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 47 7 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 80 11 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 75 12 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 84 8 MEASURABLES • At Nike Football The Opening Regional in Washington, D.C., on April 17, 2016, recorded a 37.5-foot power ball toss and a 28.4-inch vertical jump. STATISTICS • Led St. John's College to an 8-4 record and appearance in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title game in 2016. Compiled 84 total stops, 28 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and 17 quar- terback hurries. • During his junior season, his first year of high school football, posted 31 tackles, 11.5 stops for loss and four sacks. HONORS • Tabbed as a second-team USA Today All-USA Washington, D.C., selection as a senior. • Named second-team All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference as a senior. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Participated at the Nike Football The Opening Regional in Washington, D.C., on April 17, 2016. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on National Signing Day, flipping his pledge from Maryland. • Picked Notre Dame over Maryland and Virginia Tech. • Took an official to Notre Dame Jan. 20-22, 2016, and also made trips to Maryland, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Michigan State. • Primarily recruited by defensive coordinator Mike Elko and defensive line coach Mike Elston. NOTABLE • Born Aug. 7, 1988. • Has played football for only two seasons after being primarily a basketball player. 2017 PROJECTION • Wardlow will likely need a season of develop- ment before he is ready to contribute. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "We were looking for one more pass rusher. We think Kofi has some elite skills at the defensive end position where he can grow and develop. We really liked his athleticism and his size. Really impressed with him in person. "He really fit the profile. He reminded us of a young Romeo [Okwara]. Not quite as long, but is actually thicker than he is. He's just a really young, raw, extremely athletic guy, a guy that we think can develop into a really nice edge player for us." Defensive line coach Mike Elston: "A young man that's going to be very tough, very physical and unflappable. You're not going to be able to get him down because he's very confident. He's intense. He's relentless. He's taking on blocks and he's get- ting off blocks. "As a defensive lineman, we're always talking about getting on the quarterback's arm and af- fecting his throw. We always want to impact the quarterback and you'll see that when you flip on his high school film." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "It's obvi- ous from watching Wardlow's film that he is still new to the game of football. Right now, he is not an overly sound football player, and he has yet to show the ability to repeat dominant play snap after snap, which happens when a young man has played the game for just two seasons. What is also obvious from his film is that if he can learn how to play the game, he could be a very good football player. He will occasionally flash an explosive burst off the edge, and once he learns to do that on a consistent basis it will make him far more effective. "He has long arms and the frame to add very good weight and more strength. Despite his lack of experience, he does show a knack for getting after the quarterback — something Notre Dame could always use more of." Rivals national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell: "Excellent athlete who could play with his hand in the dirt or learn to play standing up at the next level. Makes plays because of his natural athleti- cism and will become more effective as he learns the nuances of the game and improves technique." Kofi Wardlow Turning Heads Despite Limited Experience In just his second season of high school football, Wardlow racked up 84 total stops, 28 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks as a senior. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM