Film study: Notre Dame DE signee Adetokunbo Ogundeji
DE Adetokunbo Ogundeji, 6-4, 215; Walled Lake (Mich.) Central.
The numbers: Ogundeji totaled 20 tackles and five tackles for a loss in four games as a senior at Walled Lake Central. He was forced to sit out the rest of the season with a partial MCL tear in his right knee. The Vikings (1-8) struggled without him.
The rankings: 247Sports – Three stars, No. 39 weakside defensive end. Rivals – Three stars, No. 32 overall in Michigan.
FILM BREAKDOWN
Vs. Walled Lake Northern
Vs. Northville
Vs. Kettering
First impression: Ogundeji is a raw prospect with some attractive traits in his long frame. His development will be a big project for defensive line coach Keith Gilmore. Ogundeji may have been a bit of a reach in terms of talent, but the Irish have been forced to get creative in their defensive end recruiting.
Strengths: Ogundeji’s height and long limbs are his greatest strengths. Those traits combined with his strength make him an intriguing prospect. At times, Ogundeji has shown good quickness at the snap of the ball. While his senior tape is limited, his junior film revealed a player who is determined to rush the quarterback. His height allows him to deflect passes if his pass rush is unsuccessful.
He did what? (Walled Lake Northern :30) Ogundeji shows his strength by shedding a blocker and tossing him to the ground in order to make a tackle near the line of scrimmage … (Northville 1:03) Ogundeji uses a quick swim move to beat the offensive tackle. A running back picks him up as the quarterback makes a short throw, but it displays some of Ogundeji’s growth from junior to senior year. His junior film showed limited pass rush moves … (Kettering :01) Ogundeji uses his long arms to keep the offensive tackle at bay while he stretches wide to make the tackle.
Competition level: The Walled Lake Central schedule was littered with solid teams, and the Vikings were undermanned in many of the matchups, especially without Ogundeji. While a lot of the top players in Michigan are closer to Detroit, the Walled Lake area has some talented teams. Ogundeji played well against Northville, the No. 29 team in the state according to MaxPreps.
Left to prove: Ogundeji has a long way to go. He will need drastic improvements in his technique to become a qualified college defensive end. He needs to be more consistent with his quickness at the snap of the ball. His length can be better used to keep offensive linemen off of him and his repertoire of pass rush moves are elementary. The blueprint for a talented defensive end exists with Ogudenji, but he will need a couple years for the project to near completion.
tjames@ndinsider.com | 574-235-6214 | Twitter: @TJamesNDI
