Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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James Onwualu's Impromptu Visit Results In An Irish Pledge BY JASON SAPP was expecting to do at the start of Notre Dame's spring break. The Irish head coach had plans in place to head out of town with I COMMITMENT PROFILE JAMES ONWUALU his family, but quickly re-routed his flight when he learned that a coveted wide receiver prospect, James Onwualu, was making an im- promptu trip back to South Bend with his brother, John, on March 14. The 6-1, 205-pound St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall stand- out — who is rated as a three-star prospect, the top player in Minne- sota and the No. 50 wide receiver in the country by 247Sports — had last visited campus on Jan. 20, landing an Irish offer during the trip. Following a 10-day service trip to Costa Rica with fellow students, he was able to process his recruit- ment, and narrowed his list down to Michigan, Minnesota, Notre Dame and Stanford. "That was huge for me to be able 247Sports ranks Onwualu as a three-star recruit, the No. 1 player in Minnesota and the No. 50 wide receiver nationally. defensive coordinator and corner- backs] Coach [Kerry] Cooks coming around, too, with them on vacation. "My whole family is very happy t was finally time for a vacation. At least that's what Brian Kelly Quinn, Johnson and former Notre Dame offensive tackle Ryan Harris. "I told him at that point, you have the potential to be one of the greatest to play the game," Johnson shared with 247Sports national writer Steve Wiltfong. Onwualu, who had 1,092 yards receiving and 17 touchdown catches as a junior, is well aware of the pipe- line that has been created between Cretin-Derham Hall and Notre Dame. "CDH sets a high standard and Notre Dame has allowed people like me, Michael Floyd, Ryan Harris and a bunch of others to really succeed," he said. "I was looking for that, and I knew that Notre Dame would be able to provide me with that. "Notre Dame was a strong school all the way for me." Despite having other strong op- PHOTO COURTESY 247SPORTS tions, Onwualu is prepared to shut down the recruiting process. "It feels great," he said. "I didn't for me to be Irish. My mother is ex- tremely proud, and my family has supported me the whole way." Kelly reacted by nearly knocking RESPONSIBLE THE STAFF IS WHEN IT COMES TO THE PLAYERS, AND THAT MEANT A LOT TO ME." JAMES ONWUALU "COACH KELLY CHANGING HIS FLIGHTS SHOWED ME HOW to get a chance to get away and just hang out away from my phone," Onwualu said of his international journey. "Coach Kelly changing his flights showed me how responsi- ble the staff is when it comes to the players, and that meant a lot to me. "It was a huge part of it because over John and throwing his arms around James, displaying the coach- ing staff's excitement over landing him as the third verbal commitment of the 2013 recruiting haul. "There are strong receiver/skill I got to hang out with [running backs/slot receivers] Coach [Tony] Alford all day and then meet with Coach Kelly. I knew it was where I wanted to be, and I wanted to make sure I committed to them in person the same way they offered me." The final piece was having his brother present. "My brother being there really sealed the deal," Onwualu said. "He saw how much they cared with [co- www.BLUEANDGOLD.com guys across the country, but not all of them know how to use it to break ankles, get a downfield fight for the football or downfield block — but Onwualu can do that," 247Sports national recruiting director JC Shur- burtt said. St. Paul-area trainer Ted John- make this decision just to have ev- erything behind me, but because I felt great about it. It's great being able to relax and feel comfortable with my decision. "One of the big reasons I chose them was because it's a really stable program, and I know I'm going to be part of something great." ✦ to the open field and make a play … Keeps momentum moving forward and doesn't shy away from contact to pick up additional yards on the reception or rush … Strong player with good vision and makes great decisions on when to go against the grain … High points the ball and possesses the versatility to contribute at different positions. Strengths Not a burner, but has good speed to get FILM ANALYSIS son witnessed Onwualu, then a high school freshman, make a one- handed grab on a high throw from former Irish quarterback Brady Quinn that seemed impossible to get during a summer camp ran by improving precision in routes by breaking them off sharper … Comes to a stop at times when cutting back, so those transitions will also need improvement. He must keep his speed and make it more difficult for pursuing defenders to catch up with him … Carries the ball a bit low and will need to keep it high and tight on contact to further protect it. Areas To Improve Has ability to get open, but needs work on — Jason Sapp APRIL 2012 43