2024 DL Nnamdi Ogboko A Gentle Giant Learning the Game of Football & Leading by Example

Football recruiting is always an adventure and every recruitment is different. 

For 2024 South Garner (N.C.) defensive lineman Nnamdi Ogboko‍, it’s been an accelerated journey over the last year as the 6-foot-4, 335-pounder is in just his second year of playing football. 

South Garner head coach Brian Yarbrough is in his first season as head coach and has guided Ogboko through his process to this point as every day has presented something new. 

“Nnamdi didn’t really understand the recruiting process at the beginning of the spring,” Yarbrough told ISD. “Last year, he was learning how to get in a three-point stance. He’s learning the game as he’s going. He comes out of last season and he doesn’t know what the expectation is.” 

Ogboko put himself on the map at a regional UC Camp this spring and it was a camp where his younger brother, Ekene Ogboko‍, was the main attraction, but that quickly changed after the camp. 

“He went out there and competed knowing he didn’t really have a lot of traction at the time,” explained Yarbrough. “I took him and his brother down to Georgia and he did well in some things and showed some flashes. He kept working, so when he had an opportunity to go to Georgia’s camp, he wanted to be ready.” 

What does ready mean? Well, it meant work. 

Sure, Ogboko got a small. taste of success as he started to tally Group of 5 offers, which provided belief and gave him confidence to keep pushing. 

“One day he got an offer from Coastal Carolina and a couple months later it was James Madison and App State,” explained Yarbrough. “It cooled off and then it was Rutgers. The next day, Georgia coaches said they wanted him to come down to get eyes on him to see what he looked like. 

“From that moment, Georgia was telling him he had an offer, but he understood it wasn’t committable and he had to come back to camp. He went to the camp and earned his space there after doing well.” 

Ogboko committed to Kirby Smart at the end of June and has focused on developing his game to have a big season to propel him into his college career. 

The work ethic shouldn’t be a surprise as Ogboko has impressed Yarbrough and many others around South Garner over the last year with his commitment to becoming a better player, but also a student. 

“Nnamdi is a high-character kid, super coachable and he’s a great student as well as an athlete,” Yarbrough stated. “He’s kind of quiet and soft-spoken. He’s a gentle giant off the field. He’s definitely a guy who has been big his whole life. Sometimes he’s not looking to stick out, so one of the biggest things has been working on living as who he is. At times, he likes to shy away from being at the forefront.” 

A raw big body is a player every school looks for, especially of Ogboko’s size, but he also might be a little rawer than most his age because this is just his second year. 

“The switch comes on when he goes on the football field,” Yarbrough explained. “A lot of that has to do with him playing basketball his whole life. He’s only been playing football for the past two seasons. He’s played basketball since he was five or six. He has had to get acclimated because the game is a little different. Basketball is only five guys and everything in football is a little more personalized. 

“He was the guy when he was young. He was always the biggest kid. When he does athletic events, he’s already kind of learned to take on a leadership position. That hasn’t been a challenge on the football field and be that leader.” 

Ogboko’s leadership might not be vocal, but his lead-by-example attitude is something the South Garner program will take every day of the week. 

In fact, Ogboko might be what the program needs as the school was founded in 2018 and the 2022 campaign was the first winning season in its history. 

“Nnamdi is in a space where he’s a guy committed to Georgia amongst kids who are trying to learn how to turn the corner and see what winning looks like,” said Yarbrough. We’ve had some very difficult moments in the season with getting to our potential and understanding what execution looks like and the hard work that’s necessary to turn the corner.” 

What does Ogboko’s leadership look like? 

Well, it starts with extra workouts after practice and then carrying about as high of a GPA as one can have. 

“The amount of time he’s put into has been more impactful than maybe things he’s said,” Yarbrough explained. “Nnamdi is getting a two-hour workout session after practice and challenged himself not to just be an A or B student, but he has straight A’s in his first semester here. 

“He’s trying to level up and push himself because he understands we’re telling him there is another step. He knows he’s a development guy and that people don’t have a lot of time to wait at the next level. Nnamdi is pushing himself daily, sometimes past what would be his comfort zone. He’s showing his teammates that.” 

Perhaps the latest example of Ogboko’s willingness to lead and sacrifice for his team was on Monday as South Garner found itself in a unique situation. 

“Our game got postponed on Friday, so we had to play a game on Monday and we’ll have two games this week,” stated Yarbrough. “We also have midterms this week. We got down 7-0 early and ended up winning the game 31-14. The last two or three weeks he’s been playing both ways. He’s out there executing at offensive guard and that’s a position he doesn’t know. He’s out there giving great effort. He’s leading the defense.

“The team we played on Monday ran the Flexbone, so it’s assignment football. He didn’t look to make plays even when some people weren’t doing their job. He stayed in the space to continue to do his job. He motivated his teammates and pushed them.” 

As for what’s next, Ogboko is pleased with his commitment to Georgia, but he’s also doing his due diligence to make sure it’s the best decision for his future. 

Ogboko visited Notre Dame for the Ohio State last month and has been educating himself on a few other programs as the calendar inches towards the Early Signing Period in December. 

“For Nnamdi, it’s been what does the landscape look like,” explained Yarbrough. “Who really wants me? What is going to be best for his development? The commitment to Georgia was because he fit the scheme and he really thought he would have an opportunity to develop there.” 

The next step in Ogboko’s process will be to finish the season on a high note and then continue his research to make a final decision. 

“He’s going through the season and he’s focused on leaving a legacy,” said Yarbrough. “He wants to be part of the first playoff run for his school. Once the season is over, he will sit down and reevaluate what makes the most sense. He is the man of his house. What makes the most sense for his development, student-athlete, financially and what place can help him grow as a person?

“He has to revisit everything. How am I going to develop? Am I going to get the reps to develop and how do they see me in their scheme? He’s going to spend some time looking at three or four schools and figure out which one is best for him.” 

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