Notre Dame DE Justin Ademilola Declares for 2023 NFL Draft

Notre Dame defensive end Justin Ademilola will join his twin, Jayson, and enter the 2023 NFL Draft.

The graduate senior announced his future plans on Friday as Ademilola had the option to play a sixth season in college. 

“First and foremost, thank you God for blessing me with the opportunity to play this game I love,” Ademilola said in a statement. “I am so grateful for everything he has done for me and how he has guided me throughout my life. 

To my family: I love you and am eternally grateful for you. Thank you for believing in me and being there for me every step of this journey. Your love and support means the world to me and I know I would be the man I am today without you. I will always make you proud. 

To my coaches and teammates: What an honor it has been to play for Notre Dame and to live out my dream. Thank you for all you have done to impact my life. Special thanks to Coach Freeman, Coach Washington and Coach Balis for believing in me and pushing me to be my best. You’ve helped me grow in every way and I will forever be thankful for every lesson, memory and friendship. I want all my teammates to know just how much I love and appreciate each of them. The brotherhood we share at Notre Dame is truly a blessing and I will never forget it. FB for life. 

Now, it is time to take that next step in my football career. Today, I am officially declaring for the NFL Draft. I look forward to representing my family and the Fighting Irish with excellence at the next level. Love you all.” 

Ademilola will end his Notre Dame career with 109 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and nine sacks during his 50-game career for the blue and gold. 

The New Jersey native tallied 39 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 2022, which included a career-high six tackles against Marshall in September. 

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Victory On Raglan Quarter-Zip