Irish Defensive End Commit Steadily Improving During Senior Season
Notre Dame defensive end commit NaNa Osafo-Mensah is rolling right along through his senior season.
Fort Worth (Texas.) Nolan Catholic is 5-1 through the first six games of the season, and Osafo-Mensah said everything is going well for him.
“Everything is going pretty good right now,” Osafo-Mensah said. “We start district play this week and we’re looking forward to that. We have a really good shot to win state this year, so everybody’s really pumped up.”
Personally, Osafo-Mensah said there are a few areas where he’s seen his game grow throughout the first six contests of the year.
“I’ve really improved on my aggressiveness,” Osafo-Mensah said. “I’ve been able to be more aggressive in the pass rush.”
Of course, there’s always room for improvement.
“I want to have a dominant mentality,” Osafo-Mensah said. “I have to remember that as well as I’m playing now, it’s going to be 10 times more difficult once I get to Notre Dame. I have to make sure I keep that competitive mindset while I’m playing through the rest of my season.”
Being that he’s a senior and one of the standout players on the team, Osafo-Mensah is looked upon as a leader for Nolan Catholic.
The talented Texan said he leads in a few different ways.
“I liked to lead by example, but also with my voice,” Osafo-Mensah said. “I try to lead as much as I can.”
After his high school season wraps up, Osafo-Mensah will graduate early and head to Notre Dame in January as an early enrollee.
The four-star said he chose to leave Texas early to get a jump on adjusting to the life of a student-athlete.
“I wanted to become accustomed to the schedule of being a football player and a student at the same time,” Osafo-Mensah said. “I know it’s not the same as high school, and since Notre Dame is more of an academically rigorous school, I want to come in and get accustomed the type of academics, so when football comes in the fall I’ll have already been there for a semester.”
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