SIGNED: LB Osita Ekwonu

Click HERE to sign up for an annual subscription to BlueAndGold.com and get your FREE gift code for $99 in Irish apparel and gear!

Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day linebacker Osita Ekwonu has submitted his National Letter of Intent to Notre Dame.

Rivals: 4.0 stars (No. 10 player in North Carolina, and No. 12 in side linebacker and No. 228 overall player in the nation)
BGI Grade: 4.0 (top-250 player)
Upside Grade: 4.5

Holds a personal record of 11.14 seconds in the 100-meter dash, 23.18 in the 200-meter and 21.05 mark in the long jump.

SENIOR SEASON: Recorded 90 tackles, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Also had 114 carries for 765 yards and 12 touchdowns.

JUNIOR SEASON: Racked up 101 tackles, three sacks and three passes broken up. Also rushed for 600 yards and 13 touchdowns as a running back.

• Named to the All-North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association team in 2016 and 2017.
• Named the Greater Charlotte Football Association’s Linebacker of the Year for 2018.
• Named to the watch list for the 2018 High School Butkus Award.

POWER FIVE OFFERS: Alabama, Auburn, Duke, Florida, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Michigan, North Carolina State, North Carolina, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Syracuse, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wake Forest and West Virginia

The Rivals250 member took an official visit to Notre Dame on the weekend of April 13, things went well, and Notre Dame surged to the top of his leaderboard.

Entering 2018, Ekwonu had just one Power Five offer (from in-state Wake Forest). By the end of January, programs like Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan had all extended scholarship offers.

After racking up major offers, Ekwonu shut his recruitment down and committed to Notre Dame June 14. He was primarily recruited by defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Clark Lea.

• Born on Oct. 31, 2000.
• Participates in the 100-meter, 200-meter 4X100 relay and 4X200 relay and long jump for Providence Day’s track and field team.
• Led Providence Day to an appearance in the North Carolina Division 1 title game in 2017.
• Family friends with the Okwara family.

Ekwonu could be a special teams player as a freshman due to his length and athleticism, but he will need time to develop as a linebacker. If he doesn’t crack the starting lineup on special teams a redshirt season is likely.

Ekwonu is a unique player with a lot of raw talent. There is a lot of work needed with his game, but from an upside standpoint this young man is a top pickup for the Irish. He is a rangy and athletic player that has barely started tapping into his immense potential. He plays with a nasty edge and is advanced for his age in pass coverage.

Ekwonu’s body has really developed the last two years. Listed at 6-2 and 215 pounds, he has elite length due to how long his arms arm. That length is a major asset as a run defender and tackler, and a huge weapon for him in the pass game. There is the frame with him to add at least 15-20 more pounds and continue to add power and explosiveness.

Ekwonu has exceptionally powerful hands and explosive hips. He delivers far more punishment than a player his current size should be able to. It allows him to stack and shed with ease (when his technique is right), and combined with his length it allows him to be a strong tackler.

Ekwonu has quick feet and is a strong all-around athlete. His change of direction is good when his technique is right, but that right there is where his grade gets dragged down. He looked more instinctive as a senior and did a better job diagnosing runs, but more development is still needed here.

His athleticism and length makes him really good in coverage. He covers a lot of ground and he is a natural in man coverage. While he still needs work from an instincts standpoint as a run defender, he shows good development when it comes to feel in coverage.

----

• Talk about it inside Rockne’s Roundtable

• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.

• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @BGI_CoachD, @BGI_DMcKinney and @BGI_CoreyBodden.

• Like us on Facebook.