2020 Four-Star DE Jordan Botelho Recaps Notre Dame Official Visit

2020 St. Louis (Hawaii) defensive end Jordan Botelho‍ made the long journey out to South Bend this weekend for an official visit to Notre Dame. 

The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder was able to maximize his 48 hours at Notre Dame along with his parents and they left South Bend knowing it could be a home for the four-star prospect.

“The visit went great,” stated Botelho. “I really enjoyed it. The tradition at Notre Dame is so strong. It’s special.” 

Notre Dame is recruiting the Botelho to play the Drop position, so it wasn’t a total surprise to hear fellow Hawaii native Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa hosted him for the weekend.

Now, it might seem like an obvious move for Tagovailoa-Amosa to host Botelho, but the St. Louis star had previously told Irish Sports Daily that playing with those from the Aloha State in college wasn’t much of a factor in his decision.

“He’s a great guy and definitely took care of me,” said Botelho. “It doesn’t matter to me if the Polynesian culture is there, but since I came here and got to spend time with Myron, it made me more comfortable.” 

In addition to seeing a close bond within the team, Botelho also got plenty of time around the Notre Dame staff as it was a light visitor weekend. 

Head coach Brian Kelly was able to meet with Botelho and his family and they were very impressed with his personality. 

“We got to talk to him on Saturday for a meeting,” Botelho stated. “He’s a great coach and he’s a nice guy. He’s not someone you want to get mad.”

Defensive line coach Mike Elston also spent quality time with Botelho and the two hit the film room while on campus. Elston was able to show Botelho how he’d fit into the defense and how both sides already did similar things.

“Coach Elston showed me clips of me and then his players doing the same thing,” explained Botelho. “It got me excited to see they are doing the same thing. I have to work hard.” 

Area recruiter Brian Polian has been a crucial part of Botelho’s recruitment and this weekend only brought them closer. 

“Coach Polian is a great guy,” said Botelho. “He has taken good care of me and I’m thankful for that.”

Notre Dame knocked it out of the park with relationships, but the Irish also hit a home run with academics. 

“It was great to meet with Sarg (Adam Sargent),” Botelho stated. “He’s a good guy. I know he’ll definitely keep me in check and make sure my grades are all good.” 

Botelho will now look to schedule visits to a few other programs before he makes his decision. LSU, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington will all be under consideration for official visits moving forward.

But, Botelho admitted committing to Notre Dame did cross his mind while on campus this weekend.

“My parents really like it,” Botelho said of potentially committing to the Irish. “We definitely talked about it. This is my first official visit and my first time being on this side. I want to check out the other schools before I make a decision.

“I want to try to experience a game. They have a long streak of sold out games.”