Julian Okwara to Notre Dame: Fighting Irish Land 4-Star DE Prospect

As expected, 4-star defensive end prospect Julian Okwara announced his commitment to Notre Dame on Tuesday, eschewing offers from Clemson, Georgia, Michigan and Ole Miss. 

Andrew Ivins of Rivals talked to Okwara about the decision:

"

I felt like everything was going right. I kind of wanted to get everything over with because I knew where I was going. I talked it over with my family and I felt like it was the right thing to do. I just loved everything the coaches told me about Notre Dame. Just being up there on my visit, I felt like I was part of the team with the coaches talking to me all the time, going through meetings, hanging out with my brother and going to class with him—It just felt right.

"

Okwara joining his older brother Romeo, who started 12 games at defensive end last season in South Bend, was always the most likely solution. 247Sports' Crystal Ball predictions gave Notre Dame a rare 100 percent chance of landing the Ardrey Kell (Charlotte) High School product.

Credit: 247Sports

Listed at 6'4" and 210 pounds, Okwara will have to add bulk to succeed at the next level but projects as a strong pass-rusher. He is listed as the No. 11 weak-side defensive end and No. 186 overall player in 247Sports' overall composite rankings. Tim Prister of Irish Illustrated noted that he made more than 90 tackles and 10 sacks during his junior campaign.      

"I can bring a lot of tempo and a lot hits to the defense," Okwara said, per Ivins. "Just getting to the quarterback and making plays—a lot of stuff like that."

It's possible the Irish wind up nudging him to outside linebacker, where his size wouldn't be such a concern, and he could make a more immediate impact. Regardless of where he winds up playing, Okwara is a big boost to Notre Dame's 2016 class. The Irish moved up 10 spots to 27th on 247Sports' latest rankings despite having only five prospects signed.   

Five-star offensive tackle Tommy Kraemer is the only player in Notre Dame's class ranked higher than Okwara.

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