Notre Dame offered Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy class of 2023 athlete Samuel M’Pemba back in August of 2020, and the Irish staff — led by defensive line coach Mike Elston — has stayed in consistent contact with him.
It wasn’t until this past weekend that the two parties were able to meet each other in person. M’Pemba, the nation’s No. 19 overall player and No. 2 “athlete” in the 2023 class, enjoyed his game day experience in South Bend Oct. 2 although the Irish lost to Cincinnati 24-13.
“It was good,” M’Pemba said. “I got in a little later, so I went straight to the indoor facility and then the stadium. I got to see Coach [Marcus] Freeman, Coach Elston, Coach [Chad] Bowden and Coach [Aaryn] Kearney.
“I thought it was a great game; Notre Dame just needed to capitalize on a couple more opportunities. It was a good overall experience.”
