2019 LB Ositadinma Ekwonu Enjoys Being Part Of Irish Atmosphere
Sophomore linebacker Ositadinma Ekwonu made the trip from North Carolina to South Bend for the second time to get his second look at Notre Dame after participating in Irish Invasion this past summer.
Ekwonu thoroughly enjoyed his first trip and the second was much of the same.
“The visit was great,” Ekwonu told Blue & Gold Illustrated. “My family and I really enjoyed the hype atmosphere and the intensity … We had a chance to talk with Coach Lea before and after the game. We also had a chance to tour some of the facilities.
“[I’d rate this visit] a 10 because of how immersive the entire visit was. Everything was so engaging and intense. It was a lot of fun to be a part of it all.”
The atmosphere surrounding Notre Dame’s 49-14 dismantling of USC certainly caught the attention of the Charlotte Providence Day product.
“The experience was amazing. The entire stadium was alive and engaging. It was really fun to be a part of it … The crowd was alive the whole time.
“After experiencing the environment first hand, you can't help but want to be a part of it … The record for consecutive sellouts is impressive as well.”
Ekwonu also was impressed by the team walk before the game and seeing more of what it would potentially be like if he had the opportunity to be part of the Irish program.
“It was a cool experience with the band and all of the music,” Ekwonu explained.” It's something that I would really enjoy taking part in because it represents what Notre Dame is all about, and the culture that they all share.”
Prior to the visit, Ekwonu had the chance to talk with linebackers coach Clark Lea during Irish Invasion and leading into his second visit. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound enjoyed the chance to be around Lea in-person again.
“It was great to be able to talk to him in person again,” Ekwonu said. “His message was mostly about how he's excited to continue watching me play throughout the season, and how he was glad I was able to fly up for the game.”
Ekwonu will be a name to continue monitoring moving forward throughout the process given he’s made two trips to South Bend on his own time and his interest in the program.
Wake Forest and Charlotte are early offers for the junior with programs such as North Carolina and Duke also showing interest. According to MaxPreps, Ekwonu has recorded 45 total tackles on defense and rushed for 341 yards and eight touchdowns on 38 carries in eight games this season.
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