Notre Dame defensive end commit Adetokunbo Ogundeji opened his season against Detroit East English Village on Thursday and he finished the game with two tackles and two quarterback hurries in a 50-28 loss.
Blue & Gold Illustrated was on hand and has highlights above. Note: Ade is wearing No. 80.
Here are my thoughts ..
Ade has always been an intriguing prospect, because he doesn't really have the build right now of a defensive end. At times on Thursday, he looked a bit undersized, but you can see why Notre Dame is excited about his potential. He has long arms (they are literally almost down to his knees) and he has a first quick step.
At different points throughout the night he tried to create separation with his hands at the point of attack, but came away with mixed results. The good news there, is that's something that is coachable, and something that we know line coach Keith Gilmore will put an emphasis on once in college.
Overall I thought Ogundeji was raw, but that was almost expected. He's probably two or three years away from being able to contribute at the Power 5 level, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Ade is still learning the game, and needs some high-level coaching, but the motor is there to make plays, and the desire to learn is there as well.
I'll add that his father isn't the biggest individual but I did meet his brother, who attends school at Michigan State, and he had some nice size to him. The family couldn't be more excited about Ade picking Notre Dame.
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