Notre Dame Continues To Push Hard For Georgia Commit Nnamdi Ogboko

Notre Dame fans were surprised when they received a visit from 2024 Garner (N.C.) South defensive tackle Nnamdi Ogboko for their matchup against Ohio State earlier this season. While it may have felt random to some, behind the scenes the Irish staff had been recruiting the current Georgia commit for several weeks leading up to that first trip. Since then, they have continued to push hard.

Now heading down the stretch and only a little over a month until signing day, Ogboko has a lot to think about. There are three schools who have really separated themselves according to South Garner head coach Greg Greene, although two are the main competitors.

"He’s handling recruiting really well,” Coach Greene told Irish Breakdown. "Right now there are three schools that are in constant contact everyday with Nnamdi. Obviously you have Georgia who is on the driver's seat. The appeal is pretty easy to understand. Notre Dame is in this because they are attractive beyond football, which matters a lot to him and his family. Then there’s Florida, who is really pushing hard for Nnamdi everyday.

"He is mature enough to be locked in with Georgia and also mature enough to understand that Notre Dame could potentially give something to you that not many schools can,” he added.

Whether Ogboko does flip to the Irish down the stretch, Greene knows that it will be for the right reasons. He isn’t chasing clout or the bag. This is a decision that has two schools with very different pitches. Ogboko is navigating what is best for him, and his family.

"If he does make another decision in the future, it definitely won’t be a knee jerk one,” said Greene. "This won’t be about NIL, or promised playing time. It will be about a school bringing something to the table that is best for Nnamdi and his family.”

Of course Notre Dame has so much interest in Ogboko for obvious reasons on the field, his outstanding size and underrated athleticism. The crazy part is that Ogboko is nowhere near his ceiling. In fact, he has very limited experience on the field.

"This is the floor,” Greene explained. "What you see right now is the floor. Nnamdi is nowhere near to his ceiling. He is still super new to the game. Nnamdi was a basketball player up until about a year and half ago. This is only his second year playing football.

“He has been working tirelessly with our associate head coach and defensive line coach Brian Yarborough,” Coach Greene said. “He is one of the best defensive line coaches you will find on this level. Nnamdi has improve so much working with him.”

The body type is what really stands out about Ogboko. For a player who is apparently well in the 350 pound range, there isn’t much bad weight. He is just a massive framed young man, which makes him pretty rare.

"Nnamdi is a very smart young man, and very coachable,” Greene said. "The way he carries his weight is extraordinary. Take his brother Ekene for example. He’s a special player but I can find that body type around the country. For Nnamdi, he is really one of one. There just aren’t many like him.”

As Ogboko continues to develop, he has a chance to become even more impressive. Coach Greene is fully transparent that he is not near a finished product. The upside here is tremendous.

"The even crazier part is that he isn’t even that strong yet compared to the level he can get to,” he explained. "Yes, he’s a hard worker. He can bench over 300 pounds on the bench and 500 on the squat, but there’s a whole other level in front of him.

"I think he’s a draft pick,” Greene continued. "When his body and his mind get in sync, he could be special. Those two things aren’t married yet. They’re dating but they aren’t married yet.”

Ogboko also comes from a very interesting background. When you learn a little bit about his family, you quickly gain understanding for how he’s wired. This isn’t your typical SEC lineman who has one thing on his mind. This is a 3.8 GPA student athlete who comes from very humble beginnings.

"I’ve known Nnamdi his whole life, from when he was about six years old,” Greene said. "He comes from a big family. I think his one sister is the smallest and she’s about 5-10. The family is of Nigerian descent. His mother is raising four children by herself, and she’s done such a tremendous job. The family is from humble backgrounds. It explains why he is mild mannered the way he is and why he works the way he does at everything.”

If Ogboko does opt for the Irish in the end, it would be a massive victory for Notre Dame. Yes, they would get a skill set they need. This would be much deeper than that however. This is an SEC defensive lineman who is not defined by labels. This is the rare high upside defensive lineman who fits everything that Notre Dame stands for.

Ogboko is rated as a consensus three-star recruit, although his offer list tells a much different story. He currently holds a long list of impressive offers, including the Irish, Georgia, Florida, Michigan, NC State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt and Rutgers among others.

The 6-4, 335-pound defensive lineman put together a huge senior campaign. Ohboko recorded 52 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss and four sacks. He also had 11 more quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles.

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Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

2024 Commit Rankings - Offense
2024 Commit Rankings - Defense

2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

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