Ekene Ogboko made his way back to Notre Dame this weekend and the 2026 North Carolina offensive lineman enjoyed himself once again.
“Good vibe,” Ogboko told Irish Sports Daily on Saturday.
The 6-foot-6, 290-pounder was on hand as his South Garner classmate, defensive end Ebenezer Ewetade announced his commitment to Notre Dame.
“It means a lot,” Ogboko said of his teammate’s commitment.
“I'm glad he found his home.”
Ogboko isn’t quite ready to make his decision, but he appreciated another opportunity to take a deeper look at Notre Dame.
He was impressed with the Irish’s practice session on Saturday.
“Practice was hard, intense, and they had the whole scrimmage live,” he said. “They had a whole replay system on the video, so I could see that. It was good.”
Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph has been one of the biggest reasons for Ogboko’s interest in the Irish from the start.
“I like Coach Rudolph,” he said. “He's a good developer, good coach. He has the resume to prove it with other top offensive linemen he has had drafted. He's a good coach.”
Irish head coach Marcus Freeman is another major positive for Notre Dame in Ogboko’s mind.
“I love Coach Freeman, man,” Ogboko said. “Good vibes all the time. I'm always with him.
“Every time I see him, he's good. He's a good guy.”
Ogboko is also well aware of what Notre Dame can offer beyond the field.
“I like all the academics,” he said. “I think we can do good both in sports and academics.
“You can just go out there and really get an education, get a degree, and use it later in life.”
Ogboko, who visited South Bend for a game last fall, is scheduled to return for an official in June.
He also has officials planned to Clemson, Georgia and Alabama.
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