Julian Okwara Commits to Notre Dame: What 4-Star DE Brings to Irish

Notre Dame picked up a big commitment on Tuesday evening when 4-star defensive end Julian Okwara announced his pledge to the Irish.

The 6’4”, 210-pound North Carolina product becomes the fifth commitment for Brian Kelly and his staff in the 2016 cycle.

Okwara selected the Irish over offers from Georgia, Michigan, Ole Miss and Tennessee, among others.

But what are the Irish getting in Okwara?

In the simplest of terms, they are getting a prospect who can put heat on the quarterback.

"Notre Dame is getting a guy with a quick first step," Okwara told Ryan Bartow of 247Sports. "I get off the ball quick and I'm great with my hands. They are getting a pass rusher."

Okwara, whose brother Romeo is a senior defensive end for the Irish, recorded 90 tackles—including 10 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles—during his junior year at Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte.

He’s a versatile defender who can play defensive end or outside linebacker when he arrives in South Bend.

As noted by Evan Sharpley of Irish247, Okwara has extremely long arms and the type of frame suited to hold more weight at the next level. He’s also athletic enough drop into coverage and stick with receivers, tight ends and running backs in space.

He’s also been a standout on special teams during his prep career, which is something that could help him find the field early when he transitions to college.

Of course, there are a few areas that Okwara will have to work on prior to becoming a contributor at the next level.

As Sharpley details, he needs to add more muscle to his 210-pound frame and also has to work on staying low with his pads after the snap and building a strong base in the lower half of his body.

Still, he’s a big-time get because of his versatility and his ability to create havoc in the backfield.

The elder Okwara had three sacks last year, which was the top mark among the Irish defensive line.

Adding a promising pass-rusher in his younger brother fills one of the major needs that defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder had in the 2016 cycle—a factor that wasn’t lost on Julian in his decision-making process.

"The first reason I picked Notre Dame was the academic part," Okwara told Bartow. "I'll be studying business management and their program is 10th in the country in that so that's pretty good. They need a speed rusher and I'm able to help them there. Plus everything felt right when I visited. Just the team and the coaches."

Given his skill set and his potential to develop into a pass-rushing menace at the next level, Kelly and his staff scored a major coup in landing the nation’s No. 11 weak-side defensive end and the No. 186 player overall in the 2016 cycle.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.