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

[dshans]

And to think – all these years I thought the initial two digits of my student ID # reflected the calendar year I entered. I still remember mine after all these years: 7018400** (I won't reveal the last two digits. I wouldn't want to open a bill from ND for Salty's bar tab at Legends.)

I didn't know nothin' 'bout no "flex points" until my son went to college – on my bill – in 2005. At the end of all eight semesters he had a positive balance that he spent down on things like hoodies for himself and pizza parties for his buds.

Did I ever get invited to the pizza pig-outs? NO! [Sniff, sniff!]

I'm pretty sure that all four of my student ID's are tucked away in a box somewhere. Hell, I even remember my laundry tag number. It was only used for the two years I lived in a dorm before moving off campus. I don't think that "001475" will pose any possible fiscal risk.

In this day and age, though, I'd counsel Okwara to petition for a new ID number. His home address probably wouldn't be hard to find with a few mouse clicks.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Sir D, you DA MAN!

Glad to see you back in rare form.

 

[Buster Bluth]

Romeo Okwara is probably the guy on the football team capable of tearing a human body apart with his bare hands. Messing with him under any circumstances seems unproductive.

hahahaha so true.

 

[STLDomer]

I usually don't like everyone pegging every 3* star we get as a steal but in this case I think it will be and the staff did a great job finding him.

At 6'5 240 and his age, by his RS Soph yr he could easily be 6'6 or 6'7 and weigh 275 an seems to also have the handwork and technique already

 

[BGIF]

He will turn 17 on June 17th.

 

[GBdomer]

IMO will grow into a de

 

[Bogtrotter07]

He will turn 17 on June 17th.

Another Flag Day (June) Superstar

So he is three days younger than Jaylon Smith?

 

[Sweetness34]

Geez, he is that young! Wow!

 

[Domina Nostra]

IMO will grow into a de

I agree. If anyone ever needed a red-shirt, its this kid. He is like Kona and KLM. He is going to be a totally different player 3 years from now.
15 year old Junior:

16 year old Senior:

 

[tadman95]

Wow!

 

[NDdomer2]

What a difference a year makes. Wait until this kid is 18-20 the muscle he is going to add to his frame. Can't wait!

 

[Cackalacky]

What a difference a year makes. Wait until this kid is 18-20 the muscle he is going to add to his frame. Can't wait!

You are not kidding. This is one of my favorites.

 

[Cackalacky]

Romeo Okwara is probably the guy on the football team capable of tearing a human body apart with his bare hands. Messing with him under any circumstances seems unproductive.

#reckless invasion of privacy

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I agree. If anyone ever needed a red-shirt, its this kid. He is like Kona and KLM. He is going to be a totally different player 3 years from now.
15 year old Junior:

16 year old Senior:

Not to sure that he needs to be a totally different player. But if he is I would prefer Ndamukong Suh.

 

[sportallyr]

I agree. If anyone ever needed a red-shirt, its this kid. He is like Kona and KLM. He is going to be a totally different player 3 years from now.
15 year old Junior:


While his age alone may seem to indicate that he would need a "red-shirt" year, I believe that Okwara will be ready to play as a true freshman. He has the size and measurable for the Cat position (6'4, 240 with 4.7 speed and a 35" vert) and he certainly has the strength (330 bench and an unbelievable 605 squat). While he could certainly use some technique coaching, he is an extremely intelligent and I believe that he could learn technique very quickly and contribute this year.

Don't forget that there was another Nigerian player named Amobi Okoye that played as a 15 year old true freshman at Louisville several years ago and held his own. He turned out to be a 19 year old first round draft pick.

While Okwara could very well sit out this year, I believe that he is one Shembo or Ishaq injury from seeing significant playing time as a 17 yr old true freshman.

 

[RDU Irish]

I hope his folks own a grocery store! With the growing he is doing they are probably thinking the dining plan is worth more than tuition!

 

[Domina Nostra]

I agree. If anyone ever needed a red-shirt, its this kid. He is like Kona and KLM. He is going to be a totally different player 3 years from now.
15 year old Junior:


While his age alone may seem to indicate that he would need a "red-shirt" year, I believe that Okwara will be ready to play as a true freshman. He has the size and measurable for the Cat position (6'4, 240 with 4.7 speed and a 35" vert) and he certainly has the strength (330 bench and an unbelievable 605 squat). While he could certainly use some technique coaching, he is an extremely intelligent and I believe that he could learn technique very quickly and contribute this year.

Don't forget that there was another Nigerian player named Amobi Okoye that played as a 15 year old true freshman at Louisville several years ago and held his own. He turned out to be a 19 year old first round draft pick.

While Okwara could very well sit out this year, I believe that he is one Shembo or Ishaq injury from seeing significant playing time as a 17 yr old true freshman.

Great points. For some reason, I have become skeptical of the CAT position in general. I think its too hard to find a 260 lb. kid who can actually play in space, so I tend to discount thinking of anyone in that range as anything but a DE. Maybe IW will suprise me this year!

 

[NDhoosier]

jeeze, I never hear much about this kid, but I am not sure why after seeing those pictures. He could be a monster on the defense. Wonder why he wasnt highly rated...

 

[Whiskeyjack]

jeeze, I never hear much about this kid, but I am not sure why after seeing those pictures. He could be a monster on the defense. Wonder why he wasnt highly rated...

Two reasons: (1) Okwara was only 15 years old throughout most of his recruitment; and (2) recruits from the Carolinas are frequently overlooked.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Okwara is our muscle giant. Ignore his age. The staff will determine whether he's ready without looking at his birth certificate. Romeo is an Earthmover. I believe [foggy crystal ball] that he's destined for rush-DE. If that means crash-cat-linebacker [a la Shembo] to start, then that's OK too. Okwara is Tuitt-strong in a smaller body. His hoped-for ability to violently destroy the line-of-scrimmage and be generally unblockable, made him my most intriguing player in this class from the beginning... and we have a lot of them. In a different way, Romeo could be just as much of a problem for some right tackle trying to cope with him all game as a certain lamented recent transfer was.

 

[Cackalacky]

Two reasons: (1) Okwara was only 15 years old throughout most of his recruitment; and (2) recruits from the Carolinas are frequently overlooked.

This and this. I dont know about other places but in South Carolina, the division a school plays football in is based on the school population. It is not uncommon for schools to move up or down based on how many total students are enrolled. My high school was one of the biggest in the state and then a new high school (South Pointe- Clowney's school) was built taking students away and it dropped us down a level.

 

[micks60]

This and this. I dont know about other places but in South Carolina, the division a school plays football in is based on the school population. It is not uncommon for schools to move up or down based on how many total students are enrolled. My high school was one of the biggest in the state and then a new high school (South Pointe- Clowney's school) was built taking students away and it dropped us down a level.

That is how it works in most states.

 

[Domina Nostra]

Okwara is our muscle giant. Ignore his age. The staff will determine whether he's ready without looking at his birth certificate. Romeo is an Earthmover. I believe [foggy crystal ball] that he's destined for rush-DE. If that means crash-cat-linebacker [a la Shembo] to start, then that's OK too. Okwara is Tuitt-strong in a smaller body. His hoped-for ability to violently destroy the line-of-scrimmage and be generally unblockable, made him my most intriguing player in this class from the beginning... and we have a lot of them. In a different way, Romeo could be just as much of a problem for some right tackle trying to cope with him all game as a certain lamented recent transfer was.

I sure hope so. I guess my main point is don't try to keep him from gaining weight. If you have him slotted at LB, 270 is too much. However, you make the good point that our system has a spot for tweeners. Kind of a HUGE Prince Shembo.

 

[Old Man Mike]

A player with Okwara's natural eye-popping strength can easily play at less than 270. Clowney dominated college football at 255. Whenever there's a mass vs speed trade-off you should go with the speed. If more muscle-mass [something Romeo hardly needs] is addable without speed or number-of-plays [what Kelly calls work volume] loss OK; if not, then can the mass. DEs aren't just run cloggers and pile movers, they are space-coverers and chase-the-ball-carrier-down-from-the-back-side pursuers. [on some plays --- I realize that there are stay-at-home responsibilities on some calls]. We don't need guys as big as Ethan and KLM at every D-line position if they cannot close the spatial gaps.

 

[STLDomer]

Romeo Okwara Romeo Okwara ‏@RomeoAK33

Officially #45

 

[NDdomer2]

Badass number

 

[irishog77]

Anybody have any insight into what his weight might be?

 

[IrishLax]

Anybody have any insight into what his weight might be?

Pain.

 

[NDdomer2]

Okwara is a beast.

 

[TerryTate]