'12 NC DE Romeo Okwara (Notre Dame Signed LOI)

[Green Mountains]

Pretty sure BK was talking about him being a CAT during summer practice. I've actually been a little surprised we haven't seen him on D this season with how giddy the staff was about his practices this summer. I know we haven't needed him, but maybe to give Shembo or Ishaq. a breather. Either way, he's going to be nasty.

I'm expect coaching staff reason was....Romeo, here is your specific special teams duty. Work on that and work with Coach Longo. Those are your two responsibilities. He is going to be a monster.

 

[jmurphy75]

Romeo = The Mountain

 

[BeauBenken]

To know Romeo has one of the biggest upsides (being that he is so young) and hearing he is one of the best on field during practice already is just amazing news.

 

[peoriairish]

Didn't we eventually move him and CJ Prosise to DOG. I don't know if that was simply in response to Spond's condition early in the season, or if more long-term. (Though DOG may not be the best spot for him next year given that Jaylon is coming in...)

I think that was just 'cause of Danny's condition. With his size, Jay coming in next year, and Danny playing like a freak this year, I'm pretty sure he'll stay at CAT. And I don't know if any of y'all saw, but CJ beat Shumate and I think BJax in the 40 recently. Kid's got some speed.

I'm expect coaching staff reason was....Romeo, here is your specific special teams duty. Work on that and work with Coach Longo. Those are your two responsibilities. He is going to be a monster.

I hear that, but I still would have liked to see him get some PT in late game situations against the likes of Navy or Miami when we were blowing them out. They burned his RS already, why not get him some snaps from the D?

 

[vinnymac2402]

he played in both of them games plus he played at the end of the wake game

 

[NDdomer2]

DevinButler_7 @

The fact that I'm older than RomeoAK33 and he's playing college football right now is trippin me out!!

Funny

 

[Old Man Mike]

Romeo seems to me [from information dating far back into his recruiting days] to be a freakish physical-power talent. Because we are so over-endowed at CAT [and DOG], this would leave only the middlebackers or the DEs as real options to get this great talent on the field. His "instincts" have always been described as those of a DE. We at ND have been mentally-warped by decades of huge heavy DEs in the B!G style, but all around the country there are slightly lighter, extremely explosive DEs causing real havoc with penetration and pass-rush [this is why I believe that even Shembo could play DE in a pinch and we'd not notice much].

Okwara is, I believe, 6'4". If he breeches 260 lbs, with his ability to shock the offensive lineman with an initial two-arm blast, and then violently twist through gaps, I can easily see DE as the best place for him anyway. I want to see how big he gets in the natural progression of things. .... remembering KLM....

 

[AdmiralBackhand]

Romeo seems to me [from information dating far back into his recruiting days] to be a freakish physical-power talent. Because we are so over-endowed at CAT [and DOG], this would leave only the middlebackers or the DEs as real options to get this great talent on the field. His "instincts" have always been described as those of a DE. We at ND have been mentally-warped by decades of huge heavy DEs in the B!G style, but all around the country there are slightly lighter, extremely explosive DEs causing real havoc with penetration and pass-rush [this is why I believe that even Shembo could play DE in a pinch and we'd not notice much].

Okwara is, I believe, 6'4". If he breeches 260 lbs, with his ability to shock the offensive lineman with an initial two-arm blast, and then violently twist through gaps, I can easily see DE as the best place for him anyway. I want to see how big he gets in the natural progression of things. .... remembering KLM....

Excellent OMM--I am with your line of thinking here.

 

[rtrn2glory]

him at DE would remind me of a vernon gholston type that was super big, but his athletic ability and explosiveness would allow for a huge mismatch on the edge...agreed wouldn't think it is out of the question that we see him playing on the DL

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Pretty sure BK was talking about him being a CAT during summer practice. I've actually been a little surprised we haven't seen him on D this season with how giddy the staff was about his practices this summer. I know we haven't needed him, but maybe to give Shembo or Ishaq. a breather. Either way, he's going to be nasty.

Go back and watch the press conferences. All Kelly every said was Okwara was DOG and he was going to be a STAR. I know he is big. But I have been told he is good enough that he could play as a defensive back for some programs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MrIrishCanadian1
Didn't we eventually move him and CJ Prosise to DOG. I don't know if that was simply in response to Spond's condition early in the season, or if more long-term. (Though DOG may not be the best spot for him next year given that Jaylon is coming in...)

I think that was just 'cause of Danny's condition. With his size, Jay coming in next year, and Danny playing like a freak this year, I'm pretty sure he'll stay at CAT. And I don't know if any of y'all saw, but CJ beat Shumate and I think BJax in the 40 recently. Kid's got some speed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Green Mountains
I'm expect coaching staff reason was....Romeo, here is your specific special teams duty. Work on that and work with Coach Longo. Those are your two responsibilities. He is going to be a monster.

I hear that, but I still would have liked to see him get some PT in late game situations against the likes of Navy or Miami when we were blowing them out. They burned his RS already, why not get him some snaps from the D?
__________________

I am telling you - what Kelly does in the future, I cannot tell you. But this year has been an exercise in teaching him advanced coverage skills. He will be a beast. I would not expect him at DE, or even CAT soon.

Above and beyond eveything else, we now have at least two that play in the front seven on defense that can run with the defensive backs!

 

[EuropeanDomer]

@BGI_JasonSapp
#NotreDame LB Romeo Okwara reported to campus as a 16-year old last summer. #Irish signee Doug Randolph is already 19. More on him later.

16? WTF.

 

[woolybug25]

Didn't we burn his redshirt?

If so, what a mistake that seems like.

 

[koonja]

Didn't we burn his redshirt?

If so, what a mistake that seems like.

Agreed. I wonder if there's any chance he can red-shirt this year??

 

[RDU Irish]

Yeah, I thought he saw some action. Physically he skipped 16 and about four other years.

 

[Domina Nostra]

Didn't we burn his redshirt?

If so, what a mistake that seems like.

Before we create needless controversy ---

(1) remember what the depth chart was looking like at DOG when Spond was indefinitly out-of-commission. Okwara was one of the few guys capable of handling that position, and he needed game experience;

(2) I don't think the kid is going to be here more than 4 years.

 

[koonja]

I hope he redshirts this year, but unlikely.

 

[woolybug25]

Before we create needless controversy ---

(1) remember what the depth chart was looking like at DOG when Spond was indefinitly out-of-commission. Okwara was one of the few guys capable of handling that position, and he needed game experience;

(2) I don't think the kid is going to be here more than 4 years.

1) I'm pretty sure they burned it after Spond was back.

2) He was 16 years old

 

[IrishSpartan]

Pretty sure he was on kick coverage anyway

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Before we create needless controversy ---

This kid has to be the best conditioned kid on the team with everybody having him move positions all the time!

 

[EuropeanDomer]

He will turn 18 this june. If i'm not wrong, he is one year and three days younger than Jaylon Smith. Just WOW!

 

[Bogtrotter07]

He will turn 18 this june. If i'm not wrong, he is one year and three days younger than Jaylon Smith. Just WOW!

YOU ARE CORRECT!

Jalon's birthday is June 14th the same as mine, and Romeo's is June 17th, the same as my Godson, (and three other people I know. FlyingAlamo is the 7th, and JimmyMac is the 9th. I am the oldest then FA, then JimmyMac, then Jaylon, then Romeo, then my Godson. See?

 

[PANDFAN]

Agreed. I wonder if there's any chance he can red-shirt this year??

you can...which is what kona was going to do last year until tuitt overslept and missed class...so he missed a game which forced kona to burn his

 

[Emcee77]

I hope he redshirts this year, but unlikely.

My feeling exactly. He's already a stud physically, so I'd love to see what kind of monster he could be for us at 21 or 22 or whatever age he would be in his 5th year. But the problem is ... he's already a stud physically, maybe too much of a stud to keep off the field in 2013.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

My feeling exactly. He's already a stud physically, so I'd love to see what kind of monster he could be for us at 21 or 22 or whatever age he would be in his 5th year. But the problem is ... he's already a stud physically, maybe too much of a stud to keep off the field in 2013.

'Zactly!

 

[IrishSpartan]

Kids gunna be so good one day I can't wait

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Kids gunna be so good one day I can't wait

Thanks for the insight, I'll agree.

 

[IrishSpartan]

Thanks for the insight, I'll agree.

haha it was an edit originally talking about how he was followed by obama until i checked and noticed it was a joke. Couldn't delete the post for some reason so just wrote that even though i completely agree with it.

 

[Luckylucci]

2013 Notre Dame Spring Football: Romeo Okwara - YouTube

 

[Redbar]

If I had Notre Dame on my schedule, this young man would scare me!

 

[STLDomer]

Wes Morgan of 247 said Diaco was "instructing" Romeo on his striking form on the sled and called it one of Diaco's more fiery moments in recent memory