Listed Measurements: 6-foot-4 ½, 235 pounds
2017-18 year, eligibility: Sophomore with three years of eligibility remaining including 2017
Depth chart: Okwara fills in behind classmate Daelin Hayes at defensive end, providing the Irish an additional pass-rush threat should Hayes ever need a breather. A third sophomore, Ade Ogundeji, keeps the pressure on Okwara to perform.
Recruiting: A rivals.com three-star prospect, Okwara chose Notre Dame over offers from Clemson, Georgia and his homestate North Carolina. Rivals listed Okwara as the No. 18 defensive end in the class of 2016 and No. 17 recruit in North Carolina.
CAREER TO DATE
Okwara made four tackles over 11 games in his freshman season, not seeing action in only the season finale against USC.
QUOTE(S)
Throughout spring practice, Irish coach Brian Kelly insisted the defensive line had more depth and talent than most outside the program believed. He pointed to Okwara and his continued development as a prime example of that disparity in perception.
“I haven’t changed the way that I feel about the guys that we have up front that can do some things and disrupt the quarterback,” Kelly said. “… Julian Okwara is coming on and giving us the kind of edge presence that we expected.”
Though Okwara finished the Blue-Gold Game with only one tackle, Kelly’s initial impressions of the sophomore’s performance were positive.
“I’d have to watch the film, but it seemed like Julian Okwara was a hard guy to block coming off the edge,” Kelly said immediately after the spring finale.
WHAT KEITH ARNOLD PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“Will an Okwara be able to redshirt in South Bend? I say yes. That would’ve been helpful for Romeo, who played as a 17-year-old freshman still learning the game. It will be helpful for Julian as well, though he could help chase down the quarterbacks if he’s able to specialize in certain packages.
“But for Okwara to do that, he’ll need to move ahead of fellow classmate Daelin Hayes and find playing time over veteran options like Andrew Trumbetti. The better move would be to spend the season getting bigger with Paul Longo and then see what the defensive front looks like with Jarron Jones and Isaac Rochell graduated.”
2017 OUTLOOK
Hayes was the talk of spring practice, and deservedly so. The flipside of that hype is it diminishes Okwara’s likelihood of impact this season. That said, Hayes will not man the edge for every snap. Keeping fresh pass-rushers is a luxury Notre Dame can enjoy thanks to the triumvirate of sophomore rush ends — a quartet when including Khalid Kareem on the other side of the line — and Okwara is a vital piece of that.
Knowing he will have those opportunities, Okwara will also know if he makes the most of them, more will be afforded to him. He may not surpass Hayes this year in snaps or production, but providing a tangible complement would mean the Irish pass rush really has improved immensely, something perhaps most notable if it results in exceeding last year’s disappointing total of 14 sacks.
DOWN THE ROAD
When Okwara’s older brother, Romeo, first arrived at Notre Dame, his lack of time playing football was both apparent and something of a hindrance. While he did contribute early in his collegiate career, it was clear by the end he was nowhere near his ceiling. That additional development has been only more obvious with Romeo’s NFL success.
Julian entered college not as far behind a typical trajectory, having moved to the United States in third grade, gaining three years of gridiron exposure his brother did not have. Thus, a season spent preserving eligibility is not as vital to Julian’s trajectory as it could have been for Romeo’s.
A year from now, Trumbetti will be out of eligibility and senior Jay Hayes will have only one season remaining, and he has yet to fortify a claim based on seniority, anyway. If Okwara performs when spelling Daelin Hayes (no relation to Jay) this season, he could be in prime position to start on the opposite side of the line in 2018.
In that scenario, the Irish could suddenly have two dynamic, speedy and athletic ends chasing the quarterback at one time. That may seem an outlandish concept, but a notable step forward from Okwara this fall would indicate such an idyllic possibility may be coming down the line.
2017’s Notre Dame 99-to-2
Friday at 4: Goodbye A-to-Z, hello 99-to-2 (May 12)
No. 99: Jerry Tillery, defensive tackle
No. 98: Andrew Trumbetti, defensive end
No. 97: Micah Dew-Treadway, defensive tackle
No. 96: Pete Mokwuah, defensive tackle
No. 95 (theoretically): Darnell Ewell, defensive tackle
No. 94 (theoretically): Kurt Hinish, defensive tackle
No. 93: Jay Hayes, defensive end
No. 92 (theoretically): Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, defensive tackle
No. 91: Ade Ogundeji, defensive end
No. 90 (theoretically): Cole Kmet, tight end
No. 89: Brock Wright, tight end
No. 88: Javon McKinley, receiver
No. 87 (theoretically): Jafar Armstrong, receiver
No. 86: Alizé Mack, tight end
No. 85: Tyler Newsome, punter
No. 84 (theoretically): Michael Young, receiver
No. 83: Chase Claypool, receiver
No. 82: Nic Weishar, tight end
No. 81: Miles Boykin, receiver
No. 80: Durham Smythe, tight end
No. 78: Tommy Kraemer, right tackle
No. 77: Brandon Tiassum, defensive tackle
No. 75: Daniel Cage, defensive tackle
No. 74: Liam Eichenberg, right tackle
No. 73: (theoretically) Josh Lugg, offensive tackle
No. 72: Robert Hainsey, offensive tackle
No. 71: Alex Bars, offensive lineman
No. 70: Hunter Bivin, offensive lineman
No. 69: Aaron Banks, offensive lineman
No. 68: Mike McGlinchey, left tackle
No. 67: Jimmy Byrne, offensive lineman
No. 65: (theoretically) Dillan Gibbons, offensive lineman
No. 58: Elijah Taylor, defensive tackle
No. 57: Trevor Ruhland, offensive lineman
No. 56: Quenton Nelson, left guard
No. 55: Jonathan Bonner, defensive lineman
No. 54: John Shannon, long snapper
No. 53: Sam Mustipher, center
No. 53: Khalid Kareem, defensive lineman
No. 52: (theoretically) Jonathan Doerer, kicker
No. 48: Greer Martini, inside linebacker
No. 47: (theoretically) Kofi Wardlow, defensive end
No. 46: (theoretically) Jonathon MacCollister; defensive end
No. 45: Jonathan Jones, inside linebacker
No. 44: Jamir Jones, linebacker/defensive lineman
TRANSFERS
No. 66: Tristen Hoge, offensive lineman, transfers to BYU
No. 50: Parker Boudreaux, offensive lineman
No. 30: Josh Barajas, linebacker, to transfer to Illinois State
INJURIES
No. 13: Tyler Luatua, tight end, career ended by medical hardship