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May The Road Rise Up To Meet You: Romeo Okwara

As the loooong football offseason begins it seems like this would be a good time to look at the players who will be playing their last season for the Irish next fall. As they enter their final year of eligibility these players have one more chance to shine under the golden dome.

By Jim Freel
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Romeo Okwara- Charlotte, North Carolina

Recruiting Rank: 247- 4 star/ ESPN- 3 star/ Rivals-3 Star

Romeo Okwara came to Notre Dame without a lot of sky-high expectations.  Most of those who followed recruiting knew that he was an athletically gifted athlete with good speed and burst for a defensive end/linebacker that needed to gain some weigh coming into Bob Diaco's defense. Even though he had the physical tools, Okwara was likely going to be a project considering he was only 16 years old when he got to ND.

Career Notes:

Okwara was forced to forego a redshirt season and play right away because of a lack of depth that existed at outside linebacker when he arrived. Even with his lack of experience, he performed admirably as a backup, playing in all 13 games and finishing with 7 tackles and a forced fumble.

Okwara's second season saw much of the same as he continued to perform as a reserve outside linebacker in Diaco's 3-4 defense. Romeo saw an uptick in production with 19 tackles and getting the first start of his career against Navy.

The past season is when Okwara has moved into the starting line-up consistently and has begun to make his mark on the Irish. With totals of 39 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and staring 12 games. Romeo benefitted greatly from the move from linebacker to fulltime defensive end in Brian Van Gorder's defense, a move that took advantage of his size and speed.

2015 Forecast:

There's one question that needs to be asked going into this season about Romeo...

Should he even play?

Romeo will only be 20 years old during the season. That's younger than most juniors on the roster. With some depth along the defensive line built up over the last few years, it may be the right time to give Romeo a year off to let his body mature. This may be a pipe dream as most of the depth along the defensive line is very young but it may be a thought that flashes through the coaching staff's minds as the look at some roster management moves this summer.

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