Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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32 MARCH 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY BRYAN DRISKELL When you come from a family like the Ademilola's, being competitive isn't a choice — it's a way of life. Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter 's Prep defensive linemen Jayson and Justin Ademilola, who have been commit- ted to the Irish since June 2016. The story of how the two talented line- men got to this point goes beyond just God-given ability. It's a story of striving for greatest as much out of necessity as it is out of desire. If you don't want to compete to be the best you can be, living in the Ademilola household would be tough. Older brother Marcus is a start- ing wide receiver at Bucknell Uni- versity and younger sister Mya set a state record for an eighth grader in the 4x100-meter relay and the long jump. Natural talent combined with a burning desire to compete helped push Jayson Ademilola to become one of the best defensive tackles in the country. "My family loves to compete, whether it's in the classroom or the household," he ex- plained. "It's our whole thing. We just compete. Competing to show you are the best, that's what drives me." Ademilola is ranked as the nation's No. 4 defensive tackle and No. 45 overall player by 247Sports. Proving himself to be one of the best players in the country meant he had to work every day to be the best player on his own team. Not only was his twin brother Justin some- one he had to compete against, St. Peter 's Prep also is home to linebacker/rover Shayne Simon, who 247Sports ranks as the nation's No. 48 overall player. But nothing motivated him more than working alongside his brother. "It's great because we push each other about making plays," Ademilola noted. "When I see him on the other end mak- ing a play I'm happy and when I make a play he is happy for me. " We j u s t g o o u t there and dominate. He holds down one side and I hold down the other." That push has helped the bigger of the two twins become a truly dominant player. "When you look at Jayson, it's so easy to be enamored with where he is, but you have to appreciate the effort he's put in," St. Peter's Prep head coach Rich Hansen explained. "Every year he's improved at a different facet of the game. He's become a really hard com- petitor and a self-motivated player that wants to win every snap. "I think it goes back to he wants to become a great player." ✦ JAYSON ADEMILOLA DEFENSIVE TACKLE 6-3 · 288 ST. PETER'S PREP JACKSON, N.J. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 169 13 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 237 16 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 45 4 2 STATISTICS • Compiled 56 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and eight sacks as a senior, including two in a state semifinals win over Paramus (N.J.) Catholic. Help St. Peter's Prep to a 9-3 record and an appearance in the New Jersey Non-Public Group 4 state cham- pionship game. • Racked up 86 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks as a junior, while St. Peter's Prep went 8-4 and advanced to the state title game. HONORS • Listed by NJ.com as a first-team All-New Jersey defensive tackle as a senior and second-team pick as a junior. Was also named the top junior in the state by the site. • Tabbed as an All-USA New Jersey first-team de- fensive lineman by USA Today following his junior and senior campaigns. • Named an all-area selection by The Hudson Reporter in his last two seasons. • Three-star member of the PrepStar Top 300 Dream Team, and was ranked as the No. 23 defen- sive tackle and No. 267 overall player in the country. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Played in the U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio on Jan. 6, 2018, and registered one tackle. • Competed in Nike Football's The Opening Fi- nals in Beaverton, Ore., June 28-July 3, 2017. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on June 26, 2016, after visiting campus for summer camp. • Picked Notre Dame over Michigan, Ohio State, Clemson and Alabama. Also had offers from Au- burn, Georgia, Miami (Fla.), Nebraska, Penn State and Pittsburgh, among many others. • Was recruited by defensive line coach Mike Elston. • Made a total of five visits to Notre Dame. First trip was June 25, 2016, for Lineman Camp. At- tended Notre Dame's Junior Day on Feb. 11, 2017, and came back to campus on April 22, 2017 for the Blue-Gold Game. Competed in the Irish Invasion in June 2017 and made his official visit on Dec. 8-10, 2017, for the Echoes Banquet. NOTABLE • Born on Dec. 16, 1998. • Accepted into the Mendoza College of Busi- ness, Marketing and Finance. • His older brother Marcus is a junior wide re- ceiver at Bucknell University. He led the Bison with 32 catches this past season. • His younger sister Mya set New Jersey state records for an eighth grader in the 4x100-meter relay and long jump. 2018 PROJECTION • Notre Dame returns good depth inside, but Ademilola's playmaking ability will give him a chance to earn early playing time. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "What can Jayson Ademilola not do? We're excited to have this stal- wart defensive lineman in our program. Jayson has a little bit more of the length and athletic ability to play the three [technique]." Defensive line coach Mike Elston: "There's an initial quickness and athleticism very similar to Sheldon Day. He's explosive, and fundamentally sound with his hands and how he plays. He's got a lot of tools athletically that you don't normally get for a guy that size. "Jayson will add a pass rush element right away. He's got some innate ability to use his hands, flip his hips and create some pressure." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Ademilola is a well-schooled player that shows advanced technique and hand play. In the run game, he plays with good pad level, can leverage blockers and does an excellent job getting off blocks. Being able to make plays on the ball is a rare trait for interior defensive linemen — and he has that ability. "He is quick and athletic for a big man, which helps him penetrate and get deep into the back- field. If he works he'll bring a much-needed pass- rushing boost to the Notre Dame interior. "Ademilola must play with a more consistent motor at the next level. If he can maintain greater consis- tency at Notre Dame he could be an impact player." Competition Pushes Jayson Ademilola To Be Great Ademilola is rated as the nation's No. 4 defensive linemen and No. 45 overall player by 247Sports. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM