Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2020 33 2020 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY ANDREW MENTOCK While Jordan Botelho was re- cruited out of St. Louis High School in Honolulu to play defensive end at Notre Dame, he's technically the third linebacker to sign with the Fighting Irish over the past decade or so from Hawai'i and was named to the high school Butkus Award Watch list before the season. Of course, the first linebacker from the Islands to commit to Notre Dame was future Heisman Trophy runner- up Manti Te'o in 2009. Rivals ranks Botelho as the No. 1 prospect in Hawai'i and the No. 175 overall player in the country. At 6-2 and 229 pounds, he's a high-motor player with strong hands and often punishes opposing quarterbacks. Still, outside of his size, off the field he is unassuming. "In the locker room, I'm a quiet, lead-by-example guy," Botelho said. "On the field, that's when I tend to get louder, when everyone is going at it." His in-game intensity paid off with a 12-0 season and another state champi- onship for St. Louis, which was also in- vited to play in the Geico State Cham- pions Bowl Series Dec. 21 in Las Vegas. But an argument at an off-campus high school sporting event led to a physical altercation, and a local judge decided that Botelho could not play in the state champions bowl or the All- American Bowl. The specific details of the altercation are still fuzzy, but it was not so significant that it impacted his ability to travel to South Bend and enroll at Notre Dame in January. His commitment to Notre Dame came as somewhat of a surprise — at least when it happened, that is. When he visited for the Blue-Gold Game in April 2019, Washington and Or- egon were considered the favorites. However, Notre Dame knocked the official visit out of the park. "On my visit, everything went perfect," Botelho said. "I loved the coaches. The position I'm going to play, the vyper, [formerly known as drop end], it seemed like it fit perfectly. "It was a no-brainer for me. I'm very happy that I made the decision." Academics were also a significant factor in his decision. "[I love] the education and net- working [at Notre Dame]," Botelho said. "I know that a degree from Notre Dame is special and I'll be taken care of after I graduate. That was a big factor." ✦ JORDAN BOTELHO VYPER 6-2 · 229 ST. LOUIS HONOLULU RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 175 11* 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 182 15^ 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 64 4* 1 * Ranked as an ILB; ^ ranked as an OLB STATISTICS • Tallied 35.5 stops and 10 sacks as a senior, while leading St. Louis to the Division I Open Hawai'i state championship. • Recorded 15 sacks as a junior. • Was a part of three state championship teams at St. Louis. NOTABLE • Born on May 16, 2001 • One of five high school finalists for the 2019 Butkus Award • 2019 USA Today Preseason All-American • 2019 Maxwell National High School Defensive Player of the Year award watch list • 2018 Star-Advertiser All-State first-team defense • 2018 Cover 2 Manti Te'o Award (best defen- sive player in Hawai'i) • Plans to major in business ALL-STAR GAMES • 2020 All-American Bowl and Polynesian Bowl selection, but did not participate in either game RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on April 18, 2019 and enrolled in January 2020. • Picked Notre Dame over Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, Washington and others. • Recruited by special teams coordinator Brian Polian and defensive line coach Mike Elston. • Took one visit to Notre Dame, which was his official one on April 5, 2019. 2020 PROJECTION • Could contribute on special teams and com- pete for time at vyper (the new name for drop end), but most likely will redshirt. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "We continue to tap into the great state of Hawai'i. That has been one that we're very proud of, and in the history and tradition that we're building there from that state — with another young man in Jordan Botelho, coming from a great Catholic school in St. Louis High School." Notre Dame special teams coordinator Brian Polian: "When you watch the tape, he's rush- ing in a two-point stance and he's very heavy handed, like, when he strikes you, he's punching you. He is a really unique combination of a high intensity, violent football player. And again, this is still a collision sport that we play. He's a violent football player." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "He is impressive in person and on film. He's one of the hardest hitters in the country, he fills hard, plays the game on his feet and shows a relentless style of play. He has played both OLB and ILB and can play either in college. There is no denying his talent; he can make plays from sideline to sideline, reads well, and shows the hustle and ef- fort the college scouts love to see in a defensive leader." Hawaiian Island Import Jordan Botelho Set For Position Change The No. 1-rated player in Hawai'i according to Rivals, the 6-2, 229-pound Botelho helped lead St. Louis High School in Honolulu to three consecutive state championships. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM