As a class of 2020 Notre Dame mid-year enrollee, Jordan Botelho saw his inaugural spring semester cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He went through winter workouts with director of football performance Matt Balis and participated in a single spring practice at the Irish Athletic Center where players wore helmets and shoulder pads.
But once Botelho returned home to Hawaii for spring break in early March, he was left to fend for himself until football players returned to campus over the summer.
Fortunately, the lone spring practice was enough for the freshman defensive end to recognize his need to progress as a pass rusher. In high school, he could blow by just about every offensive tackle attempting to stand in his way. He could lean on his overwhelming athleticism, strength and aggressive on-the-field demeanor. As an outside linebacker at St. Louis High School, Botelho also spent a significant number of snaps dropping into coverage or playing away from the line of scrimmage.
At Notre Dame, it was time to level up.
Botelho called his old high school defensive line coach Michael Lafaele, who is the co-owner of Ikaika Athletics along with strength coach Alan Ichinose, to get extra work in.
“It's nothing different from what he was doing in high school,” Lafaele said. “But we really put a lot of emphasis on the pass rush and understanding offensive lineman, and just trying to get a grip on the basics and to be masters of the fundamentals for that position.”
A top-200 prospect out of high school per Rivals, Botelho sat behind a number of talented and more experienced Vyper ends in Daelin Hayes, Isaiah Foskey and Ovie Oghoufo. Thus, he played just 19 defensive snaps as a freshman.
Once Notre Dame’s season ended with a 31-14 loss to Alabama in the Rose Bowl, Botelho vaulted up the depth chart by default. Hayes declared for the 2021 NFL Draft and Oghoufo entered the transfer portal, eventually committing to Texas. He entered the offseason knowing the defense is counting on him to thrive in a much bigger role next fall.
Back home this past January for winter break, Botelho returned to the lab with Lafaele.
