Four-star DL Owen Wafle commits to Notre Dame football

Princeton (N.J.) Hun School class of 2024 defensive lineman Owen Wafle has announced his commitment to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He’s the second commit of rising junior class for Notre Dame, joining West Bloomfield (Mich.) High defensive lineman Brandon Davis-Swain.

Wafle, who is the nation’s No. 233 overall prospect and No. 21 defensive lineman according to the 2024 On3 Consensus, told Blue & Gold that he committed to Notre Dame because of the history of the program and the fast connection he built with the Irish staff.

“Notre Dame has so much history,” Wafle said. “I learned so many facts about Notre Dame during my visit that I had no idea about. They use gold from the Golden Dome on the helmets, which is sick.

“One of the main reasons I committed was because I built the best relationships there. Coach [Al] Golden is from the same area as me, and I went to the high school he graduated from for a year (Red Bank Catholic). I also built a strong relationship with Coach [Chad] Bowden and Coach [Al] Washington, who is an awesome defensive line coach. It was really fun to watch him coach his guys in practice; I think very highly of him.

“They made it a really easy decision for me.”

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More from Wafle on his Notre Dame commitment

The four-star prospect received his offer from Notre Dame on St. Patrick’s Day during the staff’s “Pot of Gold” recruiting initiative. Notre Dame was a dream school for Wafle growing up.

“It was one of the most special moments of my life,” Wafle said about receiving an offer from Notre Dame. “My mom side has a lot of Irish heritage.”

Between Bowden, Golden, Washington and head coach Marcus Freeman, the Irish staff made Wafle feel like a major priority.

“They kept in great contact, and I knew that I knew I wanted to play big-time football and get a great education,” Wafle continued. “Academics was a huge part for me. They’re in their own league in academics and football.

“It was the history and the relationship with the coaches that really pulled me in.”

Wafle’s commitment comes very early, as he’s just finishing up his sophomore year of high school. But it’s a decision that he and his family felt was inevitable after receiving the Notre Dame offer.

“It wasn’t a matter of if I was going to commit but when,” he said. “After I had really good conversations with Coach Golden, Coach Washington and Coach Bowden all in the same day, I knew it was the place I wanted to be at.”

Wafle was on a call with Bowden and Golden when he informed them that he wanted to commit. He then called Washington to break the news to him, followed by a conversation with Freeman.

“He was one of the coolest people I’ve ever met,” Wafle said of Freeman. “I feel like he’s going to change this program for the better. He was surprised and really pumped about it as well.”

Wafle projects as an interior defensive lineman for Notre Dame, but there’s no telling exactly where he’ll end up just yet.

“It’s looking more like defensive tackle because of my frame at the moment.” Wafle explained. “I’m about 6-3, 270-275. They’re talking to me about D-tackle/one-tech. They want to see how I progress the next couple years and will make that decision when I get there.”

The Owen Wafle file

Wafle also held offers from Boston College, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Rutgers, Syracuse, Vanderbilt and West Virginia. His first offer came from Rutgers last summer and West Virginia offered him a few months later. His recruitment soared in December and January with a handful of new Power Five offers.

His father, David, was a defensive lineman for Duke in the early 1990s.

In nine games as a sophomore, Wafle posted 47 total tackles (5.0 for loss), one sack, four quarterback hurries, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. He was named to the 2021 Mid Atlantic Prep League first-team defense.

According to NJ.com, Wafle has 11-inch hands, a 6-10 wingspan and wears a size-17 shoe.

“He’s one of the most powerful and explosive kids I’ve ever coached,” Hun School head coach Todd Smith told NJ Advance Media. “He has outrageous measurables and extreme twitch, so he’s a real formidable kid on the defensive line.

“I’ve never had a 270-pound kid who looks like this.”