Ogundeji 100 Percent Set On Notre Dame

COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Walled Lake (Mich.) Central defensive end Adetokunbo Ogundeji isn't one to demand the spotlight - so he kept his commitment ceremony simple.

With his parents and head coach Bob Meyer by his side, Ogundeji thanked his family, coaches and friends for their support, then announced the school of his choice - Notre Dame - by pulling an Irish hat out of a hidden bag.

"He is first there at practice every day," Meyer said. "He is loud, he's a leader that puts a smile on your face. And then once the game starts, that all goes away - and it's gametime. He plays defensive end and constantly faces double teams locally, sometimes triple teams, and so even though he may not make the actual tackle on a play, he's spilling it or sending it back inside, which is why our defense is so successful."

Currently rated as a three-star prospect on Rivals, Ogundeji could be one of those prospects that outperform their ranking by the time their college career is finished. The defensive end is very young for his class, and coaches project him to boast a ton of upside.

"He's 6-5, right now 220 pounds," Meyer said. "I've heard from seven major Division 1 programs all give an estimate that he could fill up to be 285, 290 pounds by his senior year. He's only 16, so in theory, he could very easily be a junior this year, with a size 18 shoe. People might say 'why is he so young?' but in the culture his parents have raised him in, education is everything. You do not wait as some people will do to put your kid in school, and be the older kid in class. That's another reason why they chose Notre Dame, because of the emphasis on the great education there.

"I know Notre Dame fans are probably looking for those four and five star rating kids. He's not on that circuit, because he starts on the basketball team, and because he qualified for shotput and discus in the state of Michigan. So he's a multi-sport athlete, there's no time to see these camps that some of the kids do. So it really picked up steam at that Sound Mind Sound Body [camp], for example the Big Ten teams that saw him there offered. I think Notre Dame fans are going to be very happy with what they're getting, and I think he has the potential to be an NFL player down the road, no question."

Oregon, Pittsburgh and Rutgers were just some of the other schools that jumped in Ogundeji's recruitment in recent weeks, alongside Notre Dame. Naturally, some Irish fans speculate that the rising senior may continue listening to those other schools - especially after Ogundeji was previously committed to Western Michigan, before reopening his recruitment and eventually selecting Notre Dame. But Meyer put that thought process to rest.

"He is 100 percent set," Meyer said. "With Western Michigan, he had started one year of varsity for us, and he camped there and the coaches loved him. They saw his athleticism and upside - everything that was going to happen - so to their credit they made that offer right away. Here he is, just turned 15 years old, and you've got someone offering you a full college scholarship, his first offer. There's nothing wrong with Western Michigan, that program is absolutely on the rise - but once his eyes opened up a bit, that's when things changed. But he's set on Notre Dame now."

More on the commitment...

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