Notre Dame Commit Profile: Defensive Tackle Owen Wafle

A look at Notre Dame 2024 defensive tackle commit Owen Wafle

Notre Dame has one of the nation's best classes in 2024, and the player that has been in the class the longest is defensive lineman Owen Wafle. A breakout season in 2022 has raised Wafle's profile, and has only made landing him so early that much more important.

OWEN WAFLE PROFILE

Hometown/High School: Princeton, N.J./The Hun School

Height/Weight: 6-3, 290

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 150 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5

Player Comp: Derek Landri, Notre Dame

2022 Stats: 64 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 7 QB hurries, 3 forced fumbles (9 games)
2021 Stats: 47 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 4 QB hurries (9 games)

Recruited By: Al Washington

Offers: Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Boston College, Iowa, Cincinnati, Illinois, West Virginia, Minnesota, Duke, Maryland, Syracuse, Rutgers, Vanderbilt

RECRUITING RANKINGS

Rivals: 4-star - No. 15 Defensive Tackle
ESPN: 4-star - No. 32 Defensive End
247Sports: 3-star - No. 20 Edge
On3: 3-star - No. 73 Defensive Line
247Sports Composite: 4-star - No. 399 overall - No. 30 Edge
On3 Consensus: 3-star - No. 405 overall - No. 36 DL

FILM ANALYSIS

I must admit, when I first watched Wafle's film when we learned that Notre Dame was going to land him I wasn't blown away. He was a high-motor young defender that showed some promise, but he didn't knock my socks off. Wafle struck me as a great attitude player that would play his tail off and give great effort, but I didn't see different maker skills. Wafle was a bit short, he was light and although he did some good things on film, he wasn't a dominant defender.

Things changed in 2022.

Wafle saw a jump physically, and that as much as anything else jumped up his current grade. Listed around 6-2 and 270 pounds when he committed to Notre Dame, Wafle is now up to about 6-3 and 290 pounds. His upper body has really filled out, and Wafle shows a thick and powerful core. What surprised me about Wafle is his length for a player that doesn't have great height. His natural leverage and outstanding length were just two factors that allowed Wafle to dominate as a junior.

The Hun School star went from 5 tackles for loss and 1 sack as a sophomore, to 24 tackles for loss and 10 sacks as a junior. Both of those outcomes were done in just 9 games. 

Wafle also saw a jump athletically. Wafle played inside a lot more in 2022, and when moved over guards and centers his jump in quickness allowed him to dominate at the point of attack. On top of having a great motor, Wafle showed an impressive burst off the line. He blew past defenders constantly and was extremely hard to block. Wafle also showed top-notch closing speed in the backfield.

NOTRE DAME FIT

The fit for Wafle is a bit interesting. Right now he is better suited to play three-technique due to his lack of girth. He shows the penetration/disruptive skills to be a playmaker up the middle, evidenced by his 24 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 2022 despite his team playing just nine games. I could see a scenario in which Wafle also gets work over the center as a penetrating nose tackle in the way Notre Dame uses Howard Cross. The good part here is Wafle will have much better size and power than Cross brings to the position.

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Irish Breakdown Content

2023 Scholarship Chart
2023 Football Schedule

Notre Dame 2023 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

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