'19 GER DT Joseph Appiah Darkwa

[ResLife Hero]

Defensive Tackle / Defensive End
Dusseldorf Panther - U 19 A

Measurements

Height: 6'5"
Weight: 260

Rankings

Rivals: *** 5.6 Rating
247:*** 85 Rating #2 GER, #79 DT, #1182 Overall
ESPN: *** 76 Rating #4 GER, #67 DT

247 Composite: *** 83.05 Rating #3 GER, #111 DT, #1683 Overall


Offers
Cincinnati
Colorado
Connecticut
Georgia Tech
Indiana
Penn State
Rutgers
UCLA
Virginia


Highlights:
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[ResLife Hero]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PennState?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PennState</a> impressed 2019 DL Josph Appiah Darkwa on his weekend official. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a> could make a late move this week: <a href="https://t.co/8BDKPooS78">https://t.co/8BDKPooS78</a></p>— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong247) <a href="https://twitter.com/SWiltfong247/status/1089963863670489091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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[SouthSideChiDomer]

Loy seems to be implying this kid is getting a visit based on the picture in the tweet. Kind of weird because I think he is currently in the US.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a> defensive line coach Mike Elston is headed to Germany this week to do some recruiting for the Fighting Irish.<br><br>VIP subscribers are going to want to check out this update, as it pertains to 2019 and 2020 recruiting. <a href="https://t.co/kTdel9AOv2">https://t.co/kTdel9AOv2</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IrishIllustrated?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IrishIllustrated</a><a href="https://twitter.com/247Sports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@247Sports</a> <a href="https://t.co/BJ01CRLo5D">pic.twitter.com/BJ01CRLo5D</a></p>— Tom Loy (@TomLoy247) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomLoy247/status/1089972067339042816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Super raw prospect, but oh man does he have the physical skills. I think Penn State is big in his recruitment right now.

 

[NDIrish88]

You are correct but he doesn't love them as much as they love him. My PSU connect said that he is too smart to be at PSU. Wondering if he wants the academic route and to play with Ehrensberger next year.

 

[Luckylucci]

So the background here is he trains with Brandon Collier and his ppirecruits organization. Same as Alexander Ehrensberger. Joseph didn't make it on the campus visit with that large group 1-2 months back. So he's never been to campus. But the staff has been keeping tabs on him for a little while now. He's already OV'd to Rutgers, UCLA, Virginia, and PSU. If we offer, we should be able to secure his final OV.

 

[BobbyMac]

Probably who Elston would see if he’s out in Germany to see Ehrensberger. Question would be is he better than Jowon Briggs, Mazi Smith, and Rodas Johnson? Never seen him play so I’m curious how good he could be.

He's a specimen. Way more athletic than those 3 when you consider how much taller/longer he is than them. Go watch his film. He's a college SDE playing DT right now.

All the Ghana boys!

Moving this over from the 2019 Master List.

This guy may be new to the game but he displays some high level skills in his film. Maybe Elston can keep Balis off of him and he can stay at SDE. I went through the organizations players when they first popped up on Twitter during their school tour. Darkwa really stood out to me. He has some innate skills. He could project to be Ogun's replacement at SDE or make another program a monster 3-4 DE like Tuitt was.

 

[SouthSideChiDomer]

You are correct but he doesn't love them as much as they love him. My PSU connect said that he is too smart to be at PSU. Wondering if he wants the academic route and to play with Ehrensberger next year.

Hopefully. I would love to open up a european pipeline. Instead of taking some of the reach 3 star guys, we could replace them with raw but athletic euro guys whose body and athleticism you would not be able to find in the US at a similarly raw stage. Plus, just from an outsiders perspective it seems like Europeans stress academics much more, so our academics might not be the normal liability they are in recruiting but could actually be much more of an asset.

 

[KizerWilhelm]

Is the plan here to convince him not to sign on NSD, or are we really trying to visit, get him to visit, and then commit in a week's time?

 

[zelezo vlk]

Hmm, staff must be expecting enough spots for him and Foskey and the LBers then?

 

[SouthSideChiDomer]

Curious to see if Elston also stops by Joshua Orugboh, another European prospect he follows on twitter, when he is out there. He is a 2020 DT again with crazy physical gifts. Check out his twitter to see him squatting 600lbs, repping 330 on bench, and then dunking as a 300lber.

 

[stlnd01]

How do OV's work for European kids? Does the school pick up travel costs all the way from Germany? Also have to think the logistics are a little more complicated than OV'ing some guy from Chicago.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Hmm, staff must be expecting enough spots for him and Foskey and the LBers then?

Or they are no longer worried about holding a spot for Turner.

 

[CanadalovesND]

I’m pretty sure I saw this young man in Düsseldorf this past summer. I would say his profile, his height and weight, are every bit of what is listed.

The world is a small place, isn’t it?

 

[KizerWilhelm]

How do OV's work for European kids? Does the school pick up travel costs all the way from Germany? Also have to think the logistics are a little more complicated than OV'ing some guy from Chicago.

Yes. It's certainly pricey, but it's not THAT much more expensive than footing the bill from, say, Honolulu. Or sending an equipment truck cross country. Or booking a helicopter. These programs are flush in cash.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Speaking of Germany, just booked some tickets with my wife (and some friends) for an Oktoberfest... Chicago to Munich (and back) nonstop for about $300 more total than it used to cost us to fly to/from Seattle to Chicago over Christmas time.

 

[BobbyMac]

Chicago to Dusseldorf on Delta? $380 w/ 1 stop https://www.google.com/flights?lite...m/0hf7l.2019-02-26;c:USD;e:1;a:DL*DL;sd:1;t:f

Chicago to Phoenix on Delta w/ 1 stop? $364. https://www.google.com/flights?lite...m/01_d4.2019-02-16;c:USD;e:1;a:DL*DL;sd:1;t:f

 

[NDRock]

Speaking of Germany, just booked some tickets with my wife (and some friends) for an Oktoberfest... Chicago to Munich (and back) nonstop for about $300 more total than it used to cost us to fly to/from Seattle to Chicago over Christmas time.

Yeah, ton of deals out there for Europe flights. We’re doing a Germany/Italy trip end of May/Beginning of June. Paid $468 round trip from Atlanta to Munich.

 

[BobbyMac]

When is Darkwa's Announcement scheduled for?

https://247sports.com/college/notre...e-Dame-college-football-recruiting-128412780/

*Nevermind, it's in 3 days 14 hours per his 247 profile

 

[Irishnuke]

I’m pretty sure I saw this young man in Düsseldorf this past summer. I would say his profile, his height and weight, are every bit of what is listed.

The world is a small place, isn’t it?

I imagine he would stand out in a crowd in Deutschland.

 

[NDIrish88]

When is Darkwa's Announcement scheduled for?

https://247sports.com/college/notre...e-Dame-college-football-recruiting-128412780/

*Nevermind, it's in 3 days 14 hours per his 247 profile

That could change

 

[Irish#1]

How do OV's work for European kids? Does the school pick up travel costs all the way from Germany? Also have to think the logistics are a little more complicated than OV'ing some guy from Chicago.

No difference in where the recruit is located. All the same rules apply. Taking a kid like this (assuming he commits) is like the NBA drafting kids out of HS. You're placing a bet on him developing into a big time player.

 

[Irish YJ]

Hopefully. I would love to open up a european pipeline. Instead of taking some of the reach 3 star guys, we could replace them with raw but athletic euro guys whose body and athleticism you would not be able to find in the US at a similarly raw stage. Plus, just from an outsiders perspective it seems like Europeans stress academics much more, so our academics might not be the normal liability they are in recruiting but could actually be much more of an asset.

Euros, and Germans specifically take education very serious. I'm sure even some of those kids could get enamored with football factories, but ND definitely has a built in advantage. And most parents across the pond could give two shits about football, and simply want the best education possible for their kids. Not sure realistically if programs over there have enough kids, talent, and coaching to support a true pipeline, but if there is, we definitely should be all over it. I'd have zero issues with taking one or two RKG athletic projects a year. Our BBall and Soccer teams should give GE a look too.

 

[stlnd01]

No difference in where the recruit is located. All the same rules apply. Taking a kid like this (assuming he commits) is like the NBA drafting kids out of HS. You're placing a bet on him developing into a big time player.

A key difference being you have him for four or at most five years and not 20 like the Lakers had Kobe Bryant.

But that's fine. I've got zero problem with us going after the occasional freakishly athletic German defensive lineman.

It does feel like the logistics of visits, etc. can get complicated with international players. Less familiarity with the process and a lot of pressure to make a decision in a compressed window of time. (I'm thinking of that Ojabo kid last cycle whose entire 10-school recruitment lasted about three weeks and boom he's a Michigan Man. Compared to, say, AJ Henning, who might as well have a single in Knott by now, even if he winds up at Ohio State.)

But I agree, our academics should probably be a selling point to European families. Go for it.

 

[shortynd01]

How do OV's work for European kids? Does the school pick up travel costs all the way from Germany? Also have to think the logistics are a little more complicated than OV'ing some guy from Chicago.

No different than a kid from Hawaii

 

[ResLife Hero]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">ND Football Recruiting | 2019 DE German DE Joseph Appiah Darkwa (<a href="https://twitter.com/DarkwaAppiah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DarkwaAppiah</a>) will pick a school in a little over a week and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a> will check in on him this week to see if the two sides are a match <a href="https://twitter.com/PPIRecruits?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PPIRecruits</a> (FREE) <a href="https://t.co/UjmvHZFCYy">https://t.co/UjmvHZFCYy</a></p>— Irish Sports Daily (@ISDUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISDUpdate/status/1090255045415849992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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[SouthSideChiDomer]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">ND Football Recruiting | 2019 DE German DE Joseph Appiah Darkwa (<a href="https://twitter.com/DarkwaAppiah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DarkwaAppiah</a>) will pick a school in a little over a week and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a> will check in on him this week to see if the two sides are a match <a href="https://twitter.com/PPIRecruits?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PPIRecruits</a> (FREE) <a href="https://t.co/UjmvHZFCYy">https://t.co/UjmvHZFCYy</a></p>— Irish Sports Daily (@ISDUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISDUpdate/status/1090255045415849992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Interesting Collier said Elston is visiting the two germans we already know and also checking out 4 others. I wonder who they are.

 

[Irish#1]

A key difference being you have him for four or at most five years and not 20 like the Lakers had Kobe Bryant.

But that's fine. I've got zero problem with us going after the occasional freakishly athletic German defensive lineman.

It does feel like the logistics of visits, etc. can get complicated with international players. Less familiarity with the process and a lot of pressure to make a decision in a compressed window of time. (I'm thinking of that Ojabo kid last cycle whose entire 10-school recruitment lasted about three weeks and boom he's a Michigan Man. Compared to, say, AJ Henning, who might as well have a single in Knott by now, even if he winds up at Ohio State.)

But I agree, our academics should probably be a selling point to European families. Go for it.

Yep, you work on him and hope he develops enough to use those skills in years three and four.

Load up the D with kids from Germany and we'll call the defense Irish Blitzkrieg

 

[NDIrish88]

https://ppirecruits.com/class/2020/

Shoes some of the 2020 guys Elston may see.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Yep, you work on him and hope he develops enough to use those skills in years three and four.

Load up the D with kids from Germany and we'll call the defense Irish Blitzkrieg

Led by Kiser?

 

[ab2cmiller]

100% Penn St. crystal balls over the last few days, including Loy.