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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish continue to load up at the linebacker position. What was a very shallow depth chart in spring and fall of 2017, is now a position group that is fully loaded, and the latest is Osita Ekwonu from Charlotte, North Carolina.
It’s official now, as Osi has sent in his NLI to Notre Dame this morning during the early signing period for college football.
An elite athlete with great twitch and explosion.@Osita_Ekwonu59 has the tools to dominate the perimeter and the versatility to rush the passer as well as make an impact on all phases of the game. #FightClub19 pic.twitter.com/ls8wDRSu5f
— Clark Lea (@Coach_Lea) December 19, 2018
Take one look at Osi and you are immediately struck at how athletic he is — but also extremely powerful as well. At 6’2” and 220 pounds, Ekwonu is physically ripped. Not only did he play LB in high school, he also operated as a running back as well.
Notre Dame won an early recruiting battle here back in June. Ekwonu was considering the Auburn Tigers, Vanderbilt Commodores, Michigan Wolverines, and others. He also held offers from a lot of different schools as well, but the Irish did a great job of identifying and bringing the big fish home.
Now lacing up the gloves for the Fighting Irish is @Osita_Ekwonu59 an acclaimed student-athlete from Charlotte, North Carolina.
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 19, 2018
Not only are his physical traits hard to come by, but his traits off the field are even stronger.#GoIrish ☘️ #FightClub19 pic.twitter.com/DYgmduCtJe
Ekwonu’s announcement was both spiritual and practical, singling out Jesus for praise before lauding Irish defensive coordinator Clark Lea and head coach Brian Kelly.
“To Him, I give all the glory!
“I need to start by thanking God for his numerous blessings on my life, including the amazing coaches and teammates who have helped me throughout my career and the recruiting process.
“I would also like to personally thank all of the coaches that recruited me and supported me. A huge shoutout to my family for always providing me with guidance and counsel as I grew closer towards a decision, especially my parents and their many sacrifices to enable me to great to where I am today.
“Finally, I would like to thank the University of Notre Dame, as well as Coach Lea and Coach Kelly for blessing me with this incredibly opportunity and privilege. #GoIrish.”
Talk about a kid ready for this level - Osita Ekwonu has the ELITE traits that we look for in each of our players.
— Brian Kelly (@CoachBrianKelly) December 19, 2018
Have to give a ton of credit to his family - they've prepared him for the big stage!#GraduatingChampions pic.twitter.com/UFWzME1p3I