Nolan Catholic outside linebacker and weak-side defensive end NaNa Osafo-Mensah has seen an incredible surge in his stock since his sophomore season. The 6-4, 215-pound four-star recruit is ranked 10th in the state and 5th at the weak-side defensive end position per 247Sports Composite.
The junior standout holds 15 total scholarship offers since being given his first offer by Texas A&M back in March, and holds other offers from the likes of Oklahoma, TCU, Arkansas, Baylor, USC, UCLA and Notre Dame. Recently, Osafo-Mensah accepted an invitation in late-July to the 2019 Under Armour All-American Game.
While Osafo-Mensah prepares for the 2017 season he’s had a positive experience with the recruiting process.
“So far it’s been really good and a lot of fun. It’s given me a lot of new experiences too but I’ve been able to enjoy all the moments from all the visits and unofficial visits and going around meeting a lot of coaches from around the nation, so it’s been a lot of fun.”
Osafo-Mensah credits the surge in his recruiting process to his work ethic in the classroom and has seen how that has helped him become a better athlete on the field as well.
“I like to compare both of them a lot cause just as hard as you work in the classroom, whether you’re studying for a test or going over your notes, it’s the same as when you’re going to prepare for that football game. Whether you watching film, asking the coach questions or asking the teachers questions, I just like to balance that out and focus on my grades just as much as I love to play football because I know that no matter how far I go in football, that eventually I’m going to have to put those shoulder
pads up and the degree I get from whatever school I get greatest education from is the one that is going to carry me on further in life.”
When asked about what makes Osafo-Mensah such an elite player, Nolan Catholic head coach David Beaudin had much to say about his defensive standout.
“It’s hard to put into words because he is a once-in-a-lifetime kid…he is a born leader, he’s a faith-based kid who has a 98 average in school. He picks everybody up and he comes to practice with an abundance of energy and unbridled enthusiasm. He’s all-in 100 percent of the time and so kids feed off that, it’s infectious. He approaches everything with enthusiasm, with a great smile, with energy and hard work. He’s invaluable to this team in so many ways.”
Osafo-Mensah looks to help his team improve from their 3-8 record last year where he was credited with 111 tackles, 14 for loss and three sacks per the Star-Telegram.
As far as a commitment date, Osafo-Mensah has not yet picked out one but has set a general timeline for when he would like to commit.
“I’m still planning it out. I think I want to commit by the start of my senior year.”
Brought to you by:
