clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Notre Dame Football Recruiting: Georgia defensive end Darren Agu commits to the Irish

Bigger than he looks in many ways

By Joshua Vowles

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish added a big piece to its 2022 recruiting class on Friday with the commitment of 3-Star DE Darren Agu.

The 6’6” 225 pounder from Raybun Gap, Georgia, chose the Irish over offers from the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Penn State Nittany Lions, and many more — it’s a fantastically strong list of schools.

While only a 3-Star right now, many recruiting insiders are expecting a huge jump in the rankings at some point. Agu hasn’t played football very long at all, and is still a little raw — but he is also extremely athletic. He originally hails from England via Ireland, and their football ain’t this football.

“It’s a massive catch for Notre Dame. He’s not a five-star now, because he hasn’t played enough. But this could be a big superstar for Notre Dame.”

— Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming on ND verbal commitment Darren Agu

Yelling out GO IRISH may take on an entirely different meaning in 2022.

This is the 12th commitment for Notre Dame’s 2022 class. The class is currently ranked #4 in the 247 Team Composite Rankings, but is just a few points behind the LSU Tigers at #3.

Notre Dame Football’s 2022 Commit List (22)

SIGNED POSITION PLAYER STATE HT WT RIVALS ESPN 247 SPORTS 247 COMPOSITE On3 On3Consensus COMMIT DATE ENROLLED
SIGNED POSITION PLAYER STATE HT WT RIVALS ESPN 247 SPORTS 247 COMPOSITE On3 On3Consensus COMMIT DATE ENROLLED
☘️ OL Joey Tanona Indiana 6'5" 280 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/25/20 ✅
☘️ LB Nolan Ziegler Michigan 6'4" 205 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 08/22/20 ✅
☘️ OL Ty Chan Massachusetts 6'6" 275 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 12/2020 -
☘️ DE Tyson Ford Missouri 6'5" 250 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 01/18/21 ✅
☘️ DE Aiden Gobaira Virginia 6'6" 235 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 02/06/21 ✅
☘️ RB Jadarian Price Texas 5'11" 180 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 02/21/21 ✅
☘️ QB Steve Angeli New Jersey 6'3" 215 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 03/04/21 ✅
☘️ CB Jaden Mickey California 5'11" 175 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 03/14/21 ✅
☘️ LB Joshua Burnham Michigan 6'4" 215 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 03/17/21 ✅
☘️ TE Eli Raridon Iowa 6'6" 228 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 05/02/21 -
☘️ TE Holden Staes Georgia 6'5" 230 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 05/07/21 -
☘️ DT Donovan Hinish Pennsylvania 6'2" 275 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 06/04/21 -
☘️ LB Niuafe Tuihalamaka California 6'2" 235 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 06/19/21 ✅
☘️ OL Ashton Craig Indiana 6'5" 283 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 06/26/21 -
☘️ DB Jayden Bellamy New Jersey 5'11" 175 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/02/21 ✅
☘️ LB Jaylen Sneed South Carolina 6'2" 210 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/12/21 ✅
☘️ CB Benjamin Morrison Arizona 6'0" 170 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/15/21 -
☘️ WR Tobias Merriweather Washington 6'4" 185 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 08/04/21 -
☘️ OL Aamil Wagner Ohio 6'6" 265 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/11/21 -
☘️ P Bryce McFerson North Carolina 6'1" 175 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 11/21/21 -
☘️ OL Billy Schrauth Wisconsin 6'5" 300 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/9/21 ✅
☘️ RB Gi'Bran Payne Ohio 5'10" 190 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 04/15/22 -

Agu also becomes the 3rd defensive lineman in this class, which is a testament to Mike Elston and Marcus Freeman putting in the work. There’s talk that the Irish will probably take 4 defensive ends in this class, and there are a handful of other top DE recruits that could eventually land in South Bend.

2022 Notre Dame Football Scholarship Chart

Position / Year Freshmen Sophomore Junior Senior 5th/6th Year
Position / Year Freshmen Sophomore Junior Senior 5th/6th Year
Quarterback Steve Angeli Tyler Buchner, Ron Powlus III Drew Pyne - -
Running Back Jadarian Price, Gi'Bran Payne Logan Diggs, Audric Estime Chris Tyree - -
Tight End Eli Raridon, Holden Staes Cane Berrong, Mitchell Evans Michael Mayer, Kevin Bauman - -
Wide Receiver Tobias Merriweather Lorenzo Styles, Deion Colzie, Jayden Thomas - - Braden Lenzy, Joe Wilkins, Avery Davis, Matt Salerno
Center Ashton Craig Pat Coogan - Zeke Correll Jarrett Patterson
Guard Billy Schrauth Rocco Spindler - Andrew Kristofic, Josh Lugg
Tackle Joey Tanona, Ty Chan, Aamil Wagner Blake Fisher, Joe Alt, Caleb Johnson Michael Carmody, Tosh Baker - -
Defensive Tackle Donovan Hinish, Tyson Ford Gabriel Rubio Aidan Keanaaina, Rylie Mills Howard Cross, Jacob Lacey Jayson Ademilola, Chris Smith
Defensive End Aiden Gobaira Jason Onye, Will Schweitzer Alexander Ehrensberger, Jordan Botelho NaNa Osafo-Mensah, Isaiah Foskey, Osita Ekwonu Justin Ademilola
Linebacker Nolan Ziegler, Joshua Burnham, Junior Tuihalamaka, Jaylen Sneed Prince Kollie - Jack Kiser, Marist Liufau, JD Bertrand Bo Bauer
Safety Jayden Bellamy Justin Walters Xavier Watts, Ramon Henderson, Brandon Joesph - D.J. Brown, Houston Griffith
Cornerback Jayden Mickey, Benjamin Morrison Ryan Barnes, Chance Tucker, Philip Riley Clarence Lewis Cam Hart TaRiq Bracy
Specialists Bryce McFerson (P) Josh Bryan (K) Alex Peitsch (LS) - Michael Vinson (LS), Blake Grupe (K)
Totals 22/85 (22) 45/85 (23) 60/85 (15) 71/85 (11) 86/85 (15)

The recruiting scene is going to be smoking hot in June when the NCAA will start allowing official visits for the first time in over a year — which makes these commitments really important to have going into visit season to maximize the effort.

FIST PUMPS UP FOR AGU!

Next Up In Notre Dame Football Recruiting