Notre Dame top-100 LB target Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng announces top five schools

One of the Fighting Irish’s top recruiting targets is down to five schools. On Wednesday, top-100, four-star linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng announced a top five of Notre Dame, Florida, Michigan, Ohio State and Southern California at the Rivals Five-Star in Jacksonville. 

The Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy senior is taking a more narrowed approach to his recruitment after officially visiting the Irish, Wolverines, Buckeyes and Trojans in June. According to the On3 Industry Ranking, Owusu-Boateng is the No. 74 overall player, No. 5 linebacker nationally and No. 10 prospect in Florida in the 2025 class. 

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Owusu-Boateng has also checked out the Gators on six occasions but has yet to report an OV to Gainesville, Fla. He saw Notre Dame for the first time on Jan. 20 before going on a spring tour of unofficial visits, including stops at Michigan, Ohio State and Southern California. 

That spring tour of schools changed the tide in his recruitment. Owusu-Boateng was originally supposed to officially visit Georgia, South Carolina and Stanford. However, he canceled those trips in favor of the Irish, Trojans, Buckeyes and Wolverines.

The Buckeyes also hosted him on campus when they opened the 2022 season with the Irish on Sept. 3. 

Owusu-Boateng is the younger half-brother of former Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Like his older half-brother, Owusu-Boateng is also originally from Virginia. He played for Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic before transferring to IMG Academy for his junior and senior seasons.

According to MaxPreps, he had 45 tackles (29 solo), 6 for loss, and 1 sack during his 8-game junior campaign. He also registered a pass breakup, quarterback hurry and fumble recovery.

What Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng recently said about each school in his Top 5

After Owusu-Boateng took his OV to Notre Dame from June 7-9, he told Blue & Gold that he was considering moving up his commitment timeline. The outcome of his recruitment appears to be coming sooner after the release of his Top 5. 

“I was talking with my family about whether we still want to wait until December to commit,” Owusu-Boateng said on June 9. “Because if you really know where you want to go, why wait that long? Now, I’m having talks about making (my commitment) before the season starts or during the season.

​​“So, if you think about it, that’s how good that Notre Dame visit was.” 

Before the NCAA recruiting dead period began Monday, Owusu-Boateng wrapped up his Michigan OV. He told The Wolverine on Sunday that the Sherrone Morrone’s program has a chance to secure his commitment. 

“Just the relationships I have with the coaches,” Owusu-Boateng said on Sunday. “And seeing my teammate, Don (Johnson) commit there. I would say Michigan has a high opportunity to get me.”

Southern California was the first school to host him on an OV from May 31 to June 2. According to WeAreSC, The Trojans sold him on the bigger picture of playing for USC during the trip.

​​“L.A., it’s a big marketplace, and I will be in the middle of all of it,” Owusu-Boateng said on June 2.  “You can build connections with millionaires who I went to USC. Kings of Africa send their children to USC. They see USC as a big brand.”

His most recent unofficial visit to Florida occurred on May 17, before his OV tour. That put the Gators in prime position to make his latest cut. 

“Going back up to Florida and seeing it for myself, seeing the academic aspect of it all, that was probably my highlight of it,” Boateng told GatorsOnline on May 17. “Just seeing life after football, talking to all the business people and the people who make Florida be Florida, the Gator Made program, I would say Florida really still has a chance here.”

Owusu-Boateng did not talk to reporters following his Ohio State official visit from Jue 14-16. However, the feeling coming out of Columbus was that the Buckeyes were “third at best” in his recruitment.