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Notre Dame DE Osita Ekwonu enters transfer portal

On3 imageby:Patrick Engel•12/05/22•

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Notre Dame defensive end Osita Ekwonu (Chad Weaver/Blue & Gold).

Osita Ekwonu hinted at a departure from Notre Dame by participating in Senior Day festivities this season. He made the move official Monday.

Ekwonu, a senior defensive end, is in the transfer portal as a grad student. He will have two years of eligibility at his next destination because he redshirted as a freshman and has the NCAA COVID-19 bonus season given to all 2020 football players.

The highest-rated of four linebacker signees in Notre Dame’s 2019 class became the least used of that quartet. Ekwonu appeared in 16 career games, including three this season, and made 6 tackles. He moved from linebacker to the vyper defensive end spot after the 2020 season. He missed the 2021 campaign due to an Achilles injury.

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Ekwonu’s lone appearance on defense in his career was an 8-snap sample at the end of the Senior Day win over Boston College. He made two other appearances on kickoff teams in 2022. He also practiced at running back during 2020 preseason camp. All told, he logged 147 special teams snaps for the Irish, with 88 of those coming on kickoff coverage. He also played 39 snaps on punt return teams, 17 on the kick return unit and 3 on punt coverage.

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Notre Dame signed Ekwonu out of Charlotte (N.C) Providence Day in the 2019 cycle. He was a four-star recruit in the On3 Consensus, which ranked him as the No. 221 player and No. 26 linebacker. The Irish also signed the backbone of their current linebacker unit in that class: two-year leading tackler JD Bertrand, 15-game starter Marist Liufau and 14-game starter Jack Kiser.

Ekwonu is the third Notre Dame player to enter the transfer portal since the season ended, joining junior quarterback Drew Pyne and freshman cornerback Jayden Bellamy. Two others put their names in it during the season: senior defensive tackle Jacob Lacey and grad student wide receiver Joe Wilkins Jr. Lacey announced a commitment to Oklahoma Nov. 24.

Ekwonu’s brother, Ikem, was the No. 6 overall pick by in the 2022 Draft and selected by the Carolina Panthers. He was a three-year starter on the offensive line for North Carolina State from 2019-21.

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