Story Poster
Notre Dame Football Recruiting

Ovie Excited To Get Back

February 8, 2017
9,534

The Irish coaches haven’t given Ovie Oghoufo many hints, but the 2018 Notre Dame linebacker commit expects to get a good look at how the staff plans to utilize his talents when he gets back to South Bend for this weekend’s Junior Day.

“When I go up there, they said they’re going to tell me what they see me playing and how I’ll fit into the defense,” the Michigan native said.

“I still think linebacker/safety, I don’t know yet. I’ll know for sure when I get up there.”

One potential spot that has been mentioned among those on the outside is the Rover position, which in defensive coordinator Mike Elko’s scheme is a mix of linebacker and safety.

“I heard about it,” the 6-foot-3, 207-pounder from Farmington, Mich., said. “I still don’t know much about it yet.”

Despite not getting into too many X’s and O’s, Oghoufo has had multiple phone conversations with Elko and new linebackers coach Clark Lea, who has stopped by Harrison High School more than once since his hiring. Still Oghoufo is looking forward to spending time with both in person this weekend.

“Coach Lea has come to my school like three times already,” the 2018 defender said. “We have a pretty good relationship. I really like him and he really likes me, so that’s a good start. He’s a real cool guy, a real cool guy. He doesn’t seem like the yelling type coach or anything like that. You need to do what you’ve got to do or don’t do it. I really like that about him.

“He doesn’t seem like a dude who is so uptight or anything like that, but he’ll push you though, I like that. He’ll push me to my limit. That’s who I want to be coached by.”

In addition to spending time with the coaching staff Oghoufo is looking forward to the chance to reconnect with his fellow 2018 commits, who are all scheduled to be in attendance.

“I can’t wait,” he said. “I just can’t wait to spend some more time with them. I’ve seen all of them, but it’s way better if we continue to hang out with each other and also meet other people.”

Oghoufo said it’s important to continue building that bond before they get to Notre Dame for good.

“As we continue to see each other, bond with each other and hang out with each other, by the time we get up to campus for classes and all of that, it won’t be brand new people,” he said.

There will also be an emphasis on making the uncommitted visitors feel comfortable, including Illinois receiver Micah Jones, Ohio defensive lineman Tyreke Smith and Michigan defensive back Kalon Gervin, who is scheduled to make the trip down with Oghoufo.

Oghoufo and Gervin go way back and Oghoufo feels confident about the Irish’s chances with both him and Jones. Still, he’s cognizant of not trying to get anybody onboard who doesn’t truly want to be a part of their class.

“I just ask them how they feel about it,” he said. “When I committed, I didn’t commit because Markese (Stepp) was in my DMs. I committed because I thought it was the right move.

“What I tell these dudes is, ‘Hey, if it’s you, it’s you. Pull the trigger. If it’s not, find somewhere else and be honest.’ We want people who are truly going to come here. You can commit and decommit and there’s no point of that, just don’t commit in the first place. That’s what I tell them. Sometimes people come up to me and say, ‘Is this the right place for me?’ I say, ‘I can’t answer that for you. You’ve got to answer that for yourself. If it’s the right place for you then pull the trigger.’”


Discussion from...

Ovie Excited To Get Back

9,234 Views | 3 Replies | Last: 7 yr ago by northirish
junior
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Like his directness
oc10spray
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Impressive young man.
northirish
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Liking the effort put forth by the new staff.
Refresh
Page 1 of 1
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.