Elite defender Samuel M’Pemba updates Notre Dame, recruitment
On Oct. 26, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy class of 2023 athlete Samuel M’Pemba tweeted out the following: “Commitment coming soon ... Stay tuned.”
“It’s coming up. It’s coming soon,” M’Pemba told BlueandGold.com. “I have a couple more schools to check out, and after that, I’ll make my decision.
“A lot of coaches hit me up [about my tweet] because it was unexpected. A lot of people thought I’d commit later on.”
“Soon” is a relative term. M’Pemba would like to make his pledge before the calendar flips to 2022, but he also wants to make more visits. Programs such as Alabama and Oklahoma are high on his list. He hasn’t visited either school though and would like to before making a decision. M’Pemba, who is a St. Louis native, is giving a look at Missouri and visited there this past weekend.
Simply put, M’Pemba won’t rush his decision just for the sake of making a commitment.
M’Pemba played exclusively tight end as a junior in 2021 but projects on the defensive side of the ball for college. If he chooses Notre Dame, it’s likely he’d play weak side defensive end, but with his twitchy athleticism, don’t rule out rover.
“I like Notre Dame a lot,” M’Pemba said. “Coach [Mike] Elston is really cool, so is Coach [Brian] Kelly and Coach [Marcus] Freeman. When I went on my visit and watching their vyper position, I could see myself fitting there well. Coach Elston has put so many players into the league.”
M’Pemba would like to get back to South Bend before he makes his final decision.
“There were a lot of recruits there during the Cincinnati game, so I’d want to get more one-on-one time and talk to the coaches more because I got there late,” he said. “I missed a couple things, so I really want to get up there.”
As noted earlier, M’Pemba is from St. Louis and didn’t start playing at IMG Academy until his junior year. He’s well aware of two of the Irish’s players from his hometown.
“Kyren [Williams] is a dog,” M’Pemba said. “I didn’t get to see Gabriel [Rubio during my visit], but that’s my boy. He’s really cool and humble.”
M’Pemba added that he talks with Notre Dame defensive director of recruiting Chad Bowden on a daily basis, defensive line coach Mike Elston once or twice a week and texts often with defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman.
“What they can offer me — the education and what Notre Dame offers after college not just in football,” M’Pemba said when asked what Notre Dame’s pitch is to him.
Rivals ranks M’Pemba as the nation’s No. 19 player and No. 2 “athlete.”
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