LSU EDGE Ovie Oghoufo Opens Up On Transfer Decision, Reuniting With Brian Kelly
Ovie Oghoufo had no idea he would be able to play a sixth year of college football, but after exercising his COVID year, he made the decision to take his talent to Baton Rouge.
The former Texas standout has had quite the journey to this point. After playing for Brian Kelly at Notre Dame for three years then transferring to Texas ahead of the 2021 season, he now returns to a familiar situation.
Oghoufo has the chance to take on a major role in his lone season in Death Valley, and with significant experience, he’ll serve as a leader for the Tigers as he looks to compete for a championship.
The Journey
After the 2022 season, Oghoufo was unsure where things stood from an eligibility standpoint. It was up in the air, but after getting confirmation that he had an extra year, he made sure to utilize it and make the move to Baton Rouge.
Now reuniting with Coach Kelly, it brings familiarity to what he knows best.
“I was looking for opportunities and the COVID year really threw me off while I was at Texas. It gave me a great chance to think about everything and getting the call from LSU when I hit the portal, taking a visit to see Coach Kelly again and seeing what he’s got over here, just all the progress he’s made in one year, it made the decision easy,” Oghoufo said. “Seeing a lot of the staff that was over there with me, it gives me that Notre Dame feel a little bit but it’s exciting to see what he’s doing here.”
The Transition, The Standard
Oghoufo admits he didn’t think Kelly would leave Notre Dame, especially to come down South to LSU, but after a few months on campus he has a better understanding of why he made the move.
For the two to represent the same program once again brings back fond memories of Oghoufo’s time at Notre Dame, but “upholding the standard” remains the same message for Kelly.
“The transition was pretty easy just because he’s the same person. All the same stuff was up on the boards at Notre Dame,” Oghoufo said. “I kinda knew what I was coming into. I kinda knew the mindset coming to this school. I’ve been upholding the standard and trying to bring people along.”
Bright Lights of the SEC
Oghoufo has the chance to showcase his game on the biggest stage: The SEC. Each week he’ll suit up against the best teams in the country on his way to proving he can compete against the top programs in college football. .
After stints at Notre Dame and Texas, Oghoufo has had his fair share of big-time games, but he admits the SEC is a different breed.
“I played Alabama twice and those are two of my most exciting games, so to have the opportunity to play this schedule, and seeing Alabama and Florida on there, these are schools I’m game planning for… It’s not like when I was at Notre Dame or Texas when we played these schools every once in a while. I’m excited for it,” Oghoufo said.
One game on Oghoufo’s mind is a revenge game against Alabama. He’s faced the Crimson Tide twice in his college career and came up short both times, giving him extra motivation in his final run against Nick Saban’s group this year.
“I wanna get ‘Bama so bad. I played them last year and we almost got them. I don’t know what it is,” Oghoufo said. “When you play a team like Alabama, and they’re winning national championships, you just want to take them down.”
Oghoufo will take on a big role for the Tigers during the 2023 season. It’s been on full display during spring camp and as he continues working with LSU’s staff, the sky’s the limit to what the first-year Tiger will be capable of come this fall.
