Like many kids, Eamon McOsker grew up a Notre Dame football fan. McOsker frequently visited campus and his brother attends the school. His father even worked there. His whole life, Eamon has been surrounded by the aura of Touchdown Jesus, stories of the Grotto and Notre Dame football.
[caption id="attachment_188" align="alignright" width="95" caption="McOsker figures to help the Irish as a walk on this year. (Picture courtesy of Rivals)"]
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In his senior year of high school, it seemed like Eamon was ready to abandon the thought of enrolling at Notre Dame. Having moved to Los Angeles and attending Loyola High School, Notre Dame seemed to have been a distant memory. Eamon had moved so far past the University he grew up dreaming about, that he committed to play football at UPenn. Obviously very bright in the classroom, McOsker has taken a risk that some might say is dumb. He is taking the risk to follow his heart.
Faced with choosing between the comfortable prospect of an Ivy League education and a guaranteed position on the football team, or paying to attend a school and trying to walk on to possibly the most iconic football program in the country, McOsker chose the latter- a shocking move. He has told reporters that the opportunity to join the Irish football team and University was, "too good to pass up," citing the dream as something he has longed for since he was young.
So who is this brilliant risk-taker you ask? Why, he is the next Rudy Reuttiger of course. You might call him Rudy 2.0, bigger, stronger, faster and smarter than our favorite ND movie star. Unlike Rudy, you will come to know McOsker's name from more than just one heartwarming play. This 6'2" 193 pound of beast will be a game-changer in the Irish secondary for years to come.
After reviewing his senior highlights, I came away dumbfounded that he was not a touted prospect in the recruiting cycle. How is it that the Serra League's defensive player of the year was not heavily recruited? This league has produced football greats, including former 5-star prospect and ex Irish quarterback, Dayne Crist and McOsker completely dominated the competition. To put things into perspective, the offensive player of the year in this league chose the Stanford Cardinal, among a variety of other scholarship offers.
[caption id="attachment_199" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Mexpreps captures McOsker, the defensive star of Loyola High School."]
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McOsker demonstrates the kind of passion you would expect from a team captain. In one instance on his highlight reel, he gets under the rusher's pads and uses his lower body to gain momentum and push the runner back for a loss, finishing the tackle with textbook form. He showed physicality and what I really enjoyed is rather than shying away from contact, he initiates it. By his excellent form on tackles and the way he uses teammates as blockers, its clear that this young man has a great Football IQ.
On the very first play of the tape, Eamon shows his nose for the ball as he scoops up a fumble and takes it back for a score. Over the course of his tape he made at least one eye-popping tackle in the open field that saved what surely would have been a touchdown. His highlight reel shows just how athletic he is, showing a good ability to jump and great hands.
As if this was not enough, McOsker might also be able to lend himself to another position of need for the Irish- wide receiver. He makes a few good catches and while he doesn't appear to be a burner, he has serviceable speed. At 6'2" and almost 200 pounds, he is the big receiver ND so desperately needs. He also showed his ability to quickly readjust and hip fluidity- both of which would be utilized on either side of the ball.
If I had to give some criticism of him, I would say Eamon gave away where he was going pre-snap by the way he positioned his feet. However, that criticism is really specific and can easily be solved with help from the coaching staff. This was a brief tape and a handful of plays through six games definitely is not a substitute for watching his full season, but comparing his tape to that of other ND recruits, I would go as far as to say that while he may not have the raw talent of others, he may be more polished.
I predict big things from him. As a preferred walk on, he may have a harder path to pave, but in my opinion he could have just as much of an impact as a scholarship player. The name Eamon McOsker is not one you'll forget anytime soon.
He's the perfect example of recruiting rankings being irrelevant- some services don't even have him on their radar. Maybe he'll get his own Rudy-style movie someday.
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