Ekwonu Felt The Energy At Notre Dame on Saturday Night

2019 Providence Day (N.C.) linebacker Ositadinma Ekwonu‍ made his way to South Bend for the second time on Saturday. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder had previously been to Irish Invasion, but Ekwonu was looking forward to seeing a game at Notre Dame Stadium, and it didn’t disappoint. 

“The visit was incredible,” Ekwonu told Irish Sports Daily. “I enjoyed the intense atmosphere of the entire game. It was a totally new experience for me.” 

The three-star prospect felt the emotion of the 49-14 win for the Irish, and while the game was close, the North Carolina native was blown away by what he saw.

“It was great to see how hype and energetic everything was,” stated Ekwonu. “The energy of the whole stadium was just amazing.” 

After the game, Ekwonu had a chance to meet up with area recruiter Clark Lea and the Irish linebackers coach was appreciative of the visit. 

“I had a chance to speak with coach Lea briefly before the game started,” explained Ekwonu. “We had a longer conversation in the locker room after the game.

“He talked about how much he appreciated us flying in for the game and how he would continue to watch how I progressed throughout the season.” 

Ekwonu didn’t have a chance to talk to any players. He had hoped to meet a fellow North Carolina native. 

“Unfortunately I didn’t,” Ekwonu said when asked if he spoke to the players. “I wanted a chance to talk with Julian Okwara. 

The Providence Day standout was extremely impressed with what he saw from Mike Elko’s defense on Saturday night. 

“I liked how disciplined they were,” he said. “The very first defensive play was a forced fumble and recovery. It was exciting to see how they completely shutout USC in the first half.” 

All in all, Ekwonu left Notre Dame with an experience he won’t soon forget, and the Irish have set a bar for his visits going forward. 

“That experience definitely puts Notre Dame high up on the list,” said Ekwonu. “Compared to other visits, it was a completely new environment and culture that makes you want to be a part of it.