Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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58 MARCH 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY COREY BODDEN If Ovie Oghoufo were able to go back in time and tell his younger self that he would wind up playing football at Notre Dame, there likely would have been a lot of laughter. Why? Like many who grew up in Michigan, the 6-3, 208-pounder was a fan of the Wolverines and didn't care too much for the Irish. "Oh, I did not like Notre Dame," Oghoufo recalled. "Definitely wasn't a fan. Whenever Notre Dame would play Michigan, I was always on Michigan's side. "My little brother had a Notre Dame hoodie, and I used to hate it when he wore it. He would remind me about it every day." Both Michigan and Notre Dame wound up offering the talented line- backer during his recruiting process. The Wolverines came calling first between the two, which happened shortly after Michigan State threw an offer into the mix. Oghoufo thought his process would come down to the two in-state programs and Notre Dame wouldn't be in the picture. "When I got those two I was like, 'Shoot, it's between Michigan and Michigan State,'" he said. "I didn't think I want to go anywhere else. The only other place was Penn State. They didn't offer me, so I was going to choose between Michigan and Michigan. Then I got to Notre Dame and thought I had to add Notre Dame to this list." Seeing South Bend was almost "love at first sight" for Oghoufo and he couldn't let the opportunity go by even if it meant turning down his first love. "I've been to Michigan so many times, but as soon as I stepped foot on campus at Notre Dame, I was just like, 'Wow,'" Oghoufo explained. "I was just amazed. The fact I can go in and do whatever I want academi- cally, Notre Dame encourages you to pursue whatever you want. "Some schools say do this, so you can cope with football and school. Notre Dame is different. I felt it was unique and I had to take advantage of it." With a family full of Michigan fans and classmates also rooting for the Wolverines, of course Oghoufo's de- cision came with a little friendly heat. "Man, I got crap from the whole state," Oghoufo said with a laugh. "It was for sure that I was going to Michigan or Michigan State. … It was hard to pass up. "Most of family are Michigan fans. It was definitely hard." Oghoufo enrolled early at Notre Dame in hopes of adjusting to the program quickly and increasing his chances of playing as a freshman. The first team on the schedule in 2018? Michigan. "It's crazy playing against the team you grew up with," Oghoufo said. "It's wild. It's amazing, though, at the same time that I have the op- portunity to go to a school and play against my first love. … I'm actually looking forward to it." ✦ OVIE OGHOUFO LINEBACKER 6-3 · 208 HARRISON H.S. LATHRUP VILLAGE, MICH. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 40 9 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 56 20 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 37 12 STATISTICS • Compiled 106 stops, 31 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, five passes defended and one forced fumble as a senior, while helping Harrison to an 11-4 mark and the Division 3 state title game. On offense, he caught 32 passes for 529 yards, and had 921 all- purpose yards and seven touchdowns. • Registered 56 tackles, 20 stops for loss and five sacks as a junior. HONORS • Named to Dick Butkus High School Award watch list for the nation's top linebacker. • Earned a spot on USA Today's 2017 All-USA Michigan first-team defense and was selected as a Division 3-4 all-state performer by the Associ- ated Press. • Also tabbed as a 2017 Detroit Free Press and Detroit News All-State Dream Team selection. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Participated in Nike Football's The Opening Finals in Beaverton, Ore., June 28-July 3, 2017. • Took part in Nike Football's The Opening Chi- cago Regional on April 2, 2017, and earned Line- backer MVP honors. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on July 22, 2016, over offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa State, Boston College, Syracuse and Indiana. • Recruited initially by then-linebackers coach Mike Elston. Current linebackers coach and de- fensive coordinator Clark Lea took over once he arrived last winter. • Took multiple game visits to Notre Dame in 2016 and 2017, with his official occurring for the Echoes Banquet on Dec. 8, 2017. NOTABLE • Born on March 27, 2000. • Former high school teammate of current Notre Dame sophomore defensive end Khalid Kareem. • His parents were born in Nigeria. • Former University of Michigan defensive line- man Mario Ojemudia is his cousin. 2018 PROJECTION • Despite being an early enrollee, Oghoufo will likely need a year before he's in position to com- pete for time at linebacker. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "What can you say about Ovie Oghoufo. This kid has Notre Dame writ- ten all over him. He's a flat-out competitor who we can't wait to get in here in January to compete." Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Clark Lea: "Ovie is imposing when you meet him. I think he's gotten bigger every time I've interacted with him. … He's got room to grow and he's got to fill out his frame. There's a base there that is impressive and he's going to be an imposing physical specimen." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Oghoufo is an athletic defender that shows off highly impres- sive quickness and agility. He shows outstanding lateral quickness and good open field speed. That allows him to cover a lot of ground, and his im- proved instincts as a senior also made him a highly impactful edge player this season. "There is a lot of growth needed from a physical standpoint, but Oghoufo is willing to mix it up. His pass game ability is inconsistent, but when he is confident and his technique is sound he's very good in coverage, and his potential in that department is top notch. He needs work, but his combination of attitude, athleticism and playmak- ing ability is why his upside grade is so high." Ovie Oghoufo Passes On Childhood Favorite For Rival Notre Dame In-state Michigan was no match for Notre Dame during Oghoufo's recruitment. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN