Ebenezer Ewetade didn’t wait to set a commitment date or build up suspense.
The four-star edge defender from South Garner (N.C.) High delivered his decision Saturday during his Notre Dame visit. The Rivals250 recruit has joined the 2026 Irish class of verbal commitments.
Ewetade ended a drought of more than two months since Notre Dame received its last verbal commitment from four-star interior offensive lineman Tyler Merrill on Jan. 30. Ewetade gave the Irish their first defensive line commitment in a class of eight pledges.
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Ewetade was on campus with Merrill in January for Notre Dame’s junior day. That’s when the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Ewetade received his scholarship offer from the Irish. He reciprocated the interest by returning this weekend for his second Notre Dame visit.
Ewetade committed to Notre Dame ahead of four fellow finalists: Florida State, Georgia, Alabama and NC State. He visited NC State in March and had lined up official visits with the other three schools for later this year. Now the Irish will hope Ewetade’s only official visit will be the one he scheduled to Notre Dame for the weekend of June 20.
Ewetade was credited with 82 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in a breakout junior season at South Garner. That’s where Ewetade teams with four-star offensive tackle Ekene Ogboko, a 2026 recruiting target for the Irish who also visited Notre Dame this weekend.
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Rivals national analyst Adam Friedman met with Ewetade on Friday before he left for his Notre Dame visit. Rivals ranks Ewetade as the No. 14 edge defender and No. 201 overall in the 2026 class.
“He’s way longer than he is taller,” Friedman said. “He’s got incredibly long arms. The length is awfully impressive. He’s filled out nicely in the shoulders. There’s still room to grow there. He definitely has muscle mass to him, but he’s gonna still grow a lot when he gets to college and put on mass.
“As a player on the field, the film is easy to break down. He’s an explosive, raw edge rusher. He engages well with his hands. He’s getting stronger in the upper body, and that’s where we’re going to see most of his improvement there if he’s playing with leverage and using his hands in combination and having it all synced up in the way it needs to be. I really like the physical traits there.
“This is a high ceiling edge rusher who’s proven he’s able to get into the backfield at the high school level. He has the physical measurables to be an attractive prospect at the college level. It’s really about getting him physically ready and technically bringing him along so he’s able to reach his potential.”
Ewetade could mark the start of a commitment swing for Notre Dame in the 2026 class. Four-star edge defender Rodney Dunham plans to announce his commitment decision on Thursday, and the Irish are one of his top five finalists. Notre Dame is also one of the top three schools for four-star defensive tackle Tiki Hola, who plans to announce his commitment May 10.
Rivals ranks Notre Dame's class of eight commitments at No. 11 in the country. Only two schools ranked ahead of Notre Dame have a better star average than Notre Dame's 3.88: No. 6 Oregon (4.13), No. 5 Ohio State (4), No. 3 Texas A&M (4) and No. 4 LSU (3.89).
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