2025 DL Darren Ikinnagbon Talks Notre Dame Offer, What's Next
Things progressed quite quickly between Darren Ikinnagbon and Notre Dame.
The 2025 New Jersey defensive end went from getting to know Irish defensive line coach Al Washington one day to receiving an offer from him the next.
“I was on the phone with Coach Washington on Sunday,” Ikinnagbon told Irish Sports Daily. “We were chopping it up a little. I was telling him a little bit about myself and stuff like that. He told me the special teams coordinator was coming out here.”
Notre Dame special teams coordinator Marty Biagi did make it to Hillside High School on Monday and Washington asked Ikinnagbon to call him afterward.
“So I called him, we were just chopping it up more and then he offered me a scholarship,” the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Ikinnagbon said.
“They liked the way I play, they like my film. They feel like I could be a real important factor on the team.”
Ikinnagbon’s offer sheet also includes schools like Boston College, Duke, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State and Tennessee among several others. Still, the Notre Dame offer meant a lot.
“I was happy, man,” he said. “I couldn't believe it.
“It's like a powerhouse school. They're good with the education and ND could possibly be a national championship contender.”
Ikinnagbon wants to get out to South Bend in the coming months.
“I'm going to try to go on a visit sometime soon; in January or something like that,” he said, noting that nothing was locked in just yet and would need to be planned around his wrestling schedule.
“I'd just probably like to see everything, see campus, the facilities, stuff like that.”
He’s already visited Rutgers and Penn State and has some other trips in mind as well.
“I want to go to Oklahoma, Tennessee, probably go back up to Penn State and Rutgers,” he said. “I want to go down to Georgia and Notre Dame. Those are schools right now and possibly Syracuse too.”
Ikinnagbon expects to make his final decision before his senior season, likely in May or June.
He already knows a couple key factors to that ultimate decision.
“I want to be able to major in Engineering. That's a big factor. And if I'm going to be able to play when I first get there and stuff like that, the opportunity to fight for a starting spot.”
Want the latest scoop on the Fighting Irish? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
Navy Notre Dame Fighting Irish Full-Zip Bomber Jacket
