Coach Brian Kelly received his 3rd commitment for the 2013 recruiting class today from James Onwualu (Saint Paul, MN - Cretin-Derham Hall). Onwualu gave his pledge to the staff in-person during a visit and hails from the same high school as Michael Floyd. He is listed at 6'1.75", 205 lbs and runs a 4.53 40 yard dash.
Onwualu chose the Irish over Michigan, Stanford and Minnesota among others. He was considered a slight lean to Notre Dame and was set to decide soon after the upcoming junior day but decided to announce early. An official announcement is set for tomorrow afternoon at his high school.
Recruiting Service Rankings:
ESPN - Not Yet Rated
Rivals - Not Yet Rated
Scout - 3 star (#33 WR)
247Sports - 3 star (#1 MN, #50 WR), 88 Grade
Highlights after the jump.
Highlights:
James Onwualu Official Junior Highlights (via JONWUALU)
Impact:
Immediate Future:
Physically, Onwualu is ready to play right away at the collegiate level. Listed at 205 lbs, he will likely only need to put on about 10 more pounds, so his speed will not be affected. He is deceptively fast and shows great change-of-direction and a nose for the end zone. With a heavy WR rotation being discussed for this fall in South Bend and likely to continue into the future, he should step into the rotation early in his career.
Long Term/Career:
After watching his junior highlight film, he immediately reminded me of…wait for it…Michael Floyd. And its not just because he goes to the same high school as Floyd did. He is a big, physical wide receiver that is tough for opposing defensive backs to bring down.
His overall game should continue to develop (much like Floyd’s) throughout his career. Ultimately, his work ethic and attention to detail will determine just how successful his career will be, but athletically he has all the tools to excel at Notre Dame.
Welcome to Notre Dame James!