Listed Measurements: 6-foot-3, 217 pounds
2018-19 year, eligibility: Early-enrolled freshman with four years of eligibility remaining, including the 2018 season.
Depth chart: Of the quartet of freshman linebackers, Oghoufo is the least likely to see the field in a competitive situation this year, meaning it will probably be a season spent working with the scout team defense.
Recruiting: A consensus three-star prospect, Oghoufo looked past the two big names in his homestate, choosing Notre Dame over both Michigan and Michigan State. Rivals.com considered him the No. 36 outside linebacker in the class of 2018.
QUOTE(S)
Oghoufo’s slim chances at playing time this season stem from two items, one positional and somewhat out of his control, the other simply a piece of time.
Oghoufo could end up at any of the three linebacker spots, making it more difficult to focus him on one task this preseason.
“They are guys that are extremely athletic,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly said of Oghoufo, among others in the class, on December’s signing day. “We would rather take them and then begin to hone in on where they can best fit in that defensive structure rather than saying, he’s a box player, that’s all he can play.
“These guys give us flexibility to see how they’re going to fill out and develop.”
That fill out and develop is a common theme for freshmen at all positions, and is quite applicable to Oghoufo, apparently.
“Ovie has some physicality issues in terms he’s not ready for prime-time playing, but he’s really athletic and he’s a smart kid,” Kelly said in mid-March. “He has to get bigger and stronger so this offseason is going to be really important to him to see if he can break through and maybe help us in special teams.”
WHAT WAS SAID WHEN OGHOUFO’S NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT ARRIVED
“[Now-former] Irish defensive coordinator Mike Elko lucked into an ideal rover candidate in current senior Drue Tranquill, who will man the position again next year. Such ready-made athletes to fill Elko’s preferred defensive wrinkle will not always be available, but it is worth considering whether a lean linebacker with strong coverage skills will fit into that positional grouping more than among traditional linebackers.
“If Oghoufo fills out, however, a move inside could be within the realm of possibility.”
2018 OUTLOOK
Before the four-game possibility was created for freshmen to play without losing a year of eligibility, there was very little chance of Oghoufo competing this season.
As it stands now, he is athletic and quick. If trotting Oghoufo out for punt and kick coverage units throughout November keeps starting safeties’ and linebackers’ legs from those dozen sprints down the field, then it is worth it. Quite literally, there will be no loss involved presuming Oghoufo will mentally be ready for those five second bursts after going through eight weeks of the season.
If Oghoufo plays in more than those four games, that is an indication he impressed more than was realized in spring practices and will continue to do so in preseason practice.
DOWN THE ROAD
2019 or 2020 entirely depends on where Oghoufo projects long term. Whether at rover or one of the interior linebacker positions, he will have to compete with at least one more strongly-recruited classmate.
Shayne Simon looks to be an ideal rover candidate. His pass coverage skills may not yet be on par with Oghoufo’s, but that is a mental development process, one which Simon should have time to embrace.
Jack Lamb and Bo Bauer both elevated themselves above Oghoufo in depth chart conversations this spring. They may not be in line to take over the starters’ roles next year, but the two are certainly in position to challenge for those.
It may be a year or two before Oghoufo becomes another voice in this group. That will leave him with two or three seasons to establish himself as a known piece of the rotation.
✍️ @OvieOghoufo is finally Irish!
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 20, 2017
The rangy LB has instincts you can't teach. We can't wait to have him join us in January.
#GoIrish ☘ #IrishBouND18 pic.twitter.com/pZNZ3nQIr3
NOTRE DAME 99-to-2:
No. 99 Jerry Tillery, defensive tackle, senior
No. 98 Ja’Mion Franklin, defensive tackle, incoming freshman
No. 97 Micah Dew-Treadway, defensive tackle, senior
No. 95 Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, defensive tackle, sophomore
No. 94 Darnell Ewell, defensive tackle, sophomore
No. 91 Ade Ogundeji, defensive end, junior
No. 89 Brock Wright, tight end, sophomore
No. 88 Javon McKinley, receiver, junior
No. 87 Michael Young, receiver, sophomore
No. 86 Alizé Mack, tight end, senior
No. 85 George Takacs, tight end, early-enrolled freshman
No. 85 Tyler Newsome, punter and captain, fifth-year senior
No. 84 Cole Kmet, tight end, sophomore
No. 83 Chase Claypool, receiver, junior
No. 82 Nic Weishar, tight end, fifth-year senior
No. 81 Miles Boykin, receiver, senior
No. 80 Micah Jones, receiver, early-enrolled freshman
No. 78 Tommy Kraemer, right guard, junior
No. 76 Dillan Gibbons, offensive lineman, sophomore
No. 75 Josh Lugg, offensive lineman, sophomore
No. 74 Liam Eichenberg, starting left tackle, junior
No. 72 Robert Hainsey, right tackle, sophomore
No. 71 Alex Bars, left guard and captain, fifth-year senior
No. 70 Luke Jones, offensive lineman, incoming freshman
No. 69 Aaron Banks, offensive tackle, sophomore
No. 68 Jarrett Patterson, offensive tackle, incoming freshman
No. 60 Cole Mabry, offensive tackle, incoming freshman
No. 57 Trevor Ruhland, offensive lineman, senior
No. 57 (theoretically) Jayson Ademilola, defensive tackle, incoming freshman
No. 56 John Dirksen, offensive lineman, incoming freshman
No. 55 Jonathan Bonner, defensive tackle, fifth-year senior
No. 54 John Shannon, long snapper, junior
No. 53 Khalid Kareem, defensive end, junior
No. 53 Sam Mustipher, center and captain, fifth-year senior
No. 52 Bo Bauer, linebacker, early-enrolled freshman
No. 47 Kofi Wardlow, defensive end, sophomore
No. 45 Jonathan Jones, linebacker, junior
No. 44 Jamir Jones, defensive end, junior
No. 42 Julian Okwara, defensive end, junior
No. 41 Kurt Hinish, defensive tackle, sophomore
No. 40 Drew White, linebacker, sophomore
No. 39 Jonathan Doerer, kickoff specialist, sophomore
No. 34 Jahmir Smith, running back, early-enrolled freshman
No. 33 Shayne Simon, linebacker, incoming freshman
No. 31 Jack Lamb, linebacker, early-enrolled freshman
No. 30 Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, linebacker, sophomore
No. 24 Tommy Tremble, tight end, incoming freshman
MEDICAL EXEMPTION
No. 35 David Adams, linebacker, sophomore
OUTGOING TRANSFER
No. 11 Freddy Canteen, receiver, outgoing transfer
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