In their search for a pass rusher, Notre Dame added an intriguing piece to the puzzle in Michigan defensive end Adetokunbo Ogundeji. The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder picked the Irish over offers from Rutgers, Oregon, Cal and Toledo in a ceremony on Thursday evening. Ogundeji was an early commitment to Western Michigan until he reopened his recruitment as his game tape spread across college football.
While his name will likely force some spelling lessons across ND Nation, Ogundeji is everything you want in a developmental prospect at defensive end. He camped at Notre Dame in late June, earning strong reviews from the Irish staff and defensive line coach Keith Gilmore. Less than a month later, Ogundeji decided to shut down his recruitment, all but sold on Notre Dame.
While space is limited in the 2016 recruiting class, the Irish staff is out to a quick start recruiting the edge of the defense. Ogundeji joins Julian Okwara as a pass rushing defensive end recruit. Jamir Jones also could slide to defensive end as well, though he’s currently an outside linebacker. None of the three are considered elite prospects, but they were early targets and lands for the coaching staff.
Ade Ogundeji on why #NotreDame fit: “I want to win in life. I want to win on the football field … I feel like they can make me do that.”
— Jake Brown (@Jake_Brown) July 16, 2015
Ogundeji makes recruit No. 13 in a class that’s quickly doubled in size over the past month. With some big names hitting campus in the next few weeks, a usually quiet time is turning into premium recruiting season for the Irish staff, before the focus turns to training camp.