Notre Dame a top school for elite ATH Samuel M'Pemba
Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy’s Samuel M’Pemba, who hails from St. Louis, announced his top-seven schools list on Friday. Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Oregon, Florida, and Tennessee made the cut for the elite prospect.
“Great relationships with the staff and have everything that you need in a school from academics to school,” M’Pemba told On3’s Hayes Fawcett about why Notre Dame made the cut.
While many top class of 2023 prospects are making commitments this summer to finish their recruiting process before the start of their senior season, M’Pemba is taking his recruitment the distance. He was planning to officially visit Notre Dame in June, but with him stretching his recruitment well into the fall, the two parties decided to push the visit back.
He’s now scheduled to officially visit Notre Dame for the Clemson game on November 5, which figures to be a big recruiting weekend for the Irish.
“I moved it to the season — the Clemson game,” M’Pemba said last month on an Irish Players Club Twitter space. “I want to see how the campus is during a game and the game day environment. That’s a really important thing. I want to get another look at it.”
M’Pemba ranks as the nation’s No. 27 prospect and No. 4 EDGE per the 2023 On3 Consensus.
Georgia is considered the team to beat for him according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) at 76.9 percent. Notre Dame is running second at 15.3 percent. There are currently two insider predictions logged for M’Pemba to choose the Bulldogs.
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M’Pemba last visited Notre Dame in March
M’Pemba told Blue & Gold that he loved his time at Notre Dame during his last visit.
“I’ve always liked Notre Dame, and they’ve always stood high,” M’Pemba said. “This visit definitely pushed them up – going up there and meeting the players. They were really cool and have a brotherhood. They’re definitely up there.”
Head coach Marcus Freeman and Co. would love nothing more than to add M’Pemba to his already big-time commitment list. The Irish have 19 verbals, a group that ranks No. 1 according to the 2023 Consensus Football Team Recruiting Rankings.
“How much I can help the team,” M’Pemba answered when asked what the staff’s pitch to him was during his last visit. “We talked about my recruiting process and how much it would mean for me to go there with me being one of their top guys.”
Most prospects who have the “athlete” tag are skill players who will either play wide receiver or defensive back at the next level. M’Pemba, though, played H-back for IMG Academy as a junior and projects as a rover linebacker or vyper in Notre Dame’s defense. His primary position – if he were to choose Notre Dame – would likely be rover to start.
“I feel like I’m athletic and versatile enough,” M’Pemba said. “I like it a lot. It uses all of my traits.”
