Notre Dame Shows 2025 LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng Why It's Different

Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng‍ had been to Notre Dame before, but this weekend’s return for his official visit was different.

“Of course this time was different from my unofficial,” the elite 2025 IMG linebacker told Irish Sports Daily afterward.

“Going into depth about everything, meetings, me talking to Coach Free (Marcus Freeman), talking to Coach (Max) Bullough, Al (Golden), seeing Admissions, seeing what minors and majors I'm trying to look forward to. Just seeing the whole part of it all, seeing what separates Notre Dame from all the other schools that I'm looking at currently.”

Owusu-Boateng appreciated the opportunity to get to know Freeman better as did his older brother and former Irish star Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

“Having a chance to go to his house, in the atmosphere where I felt like he was best,” Owusu-Boateng said. “”Having my brother there by my side as well just to talk to him about everything; why he sees me fits in the program, why he wants me, all that. Then of course, him just explaining that picking Notre Dame is not only a four-year decision, but it's a lifetime decision, so just him saying that it was different for sure.”

During his pitch, Freeman hit on a few reasons why he believes Notre Dame is the best place for Owusu-Boateng.

“It's not only that about legacy, right?” Owusu-Boateng said. “ It's about my skillset. Knowing that I can rush the quarterback, knowing I can play off the ball and I can also play in space as well, and me being the most versatile backer in my class. He sees me as somebody who can come in and impact the program. 

“Not only that, but speaking off the field as well; high character, somebody who Notre Dame would love to have.”

His brother didn’t play for Freeman in South Bend, but also enjoyed what he heard.

“He likes him,” Owusu-Boateng said of his brother. “Of course, he's a different kind of coach from Brian Kelly, but just having the chance to talk to him about it all, he likes him.”

Owusu-Boateng also enjoyed the opportunity to hang with the Irish defensive commits who were also on campus.

“Those guys are great, especially Dallas,” he said, referring to the Irish’s 2025 five-star cornerback commit Dallas Golden. “Just talking to him, being a Florida boy as well and just asking him and seeing what made Notre Dame so special to him. Just talking to him and knowing that they're Top 5 2025 commit class. It was good thing for me to experience.

Owusu-Boateng said he could “most definitely” fit with the other Irish commits.

He took an official visit to USC last week and will take officials to Ohio State and Michigan next. He isn’t planning a decision until the fall or winter, so this recruitment still has a ways to go.

But the Irish certainly positioned themselves well this weekend.

“I definitely want to say that this is going to be a hard choice, a choice that definitely can't be emotional. It has to be a business decision, not just for the four years, but for the rest of my life as well. I would say that Notre Dame set themselves apart.”

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