For a decade, Ron Powlus III battled diabetes for the mere opportunity to become a college football player.
That he signed a few years ago with hometown program Notre Dame, where his father, Ron, had starred in the mid-1990s, simply made the story even more compelling.
Ultimately, however, RP3 was confronted two years ago with the need to medically retire from being a reserve signal-caller in Marcus Freeman's Fighting Irish football program.
But Powlus remained around the Notre Dame program, which has seen his father serve as the school's deputy athletics director with oversight of football.
While Notre Dame on Tuesday evening denoted several additions and title changes to its personnel department, several sources told FootballScoop that one item was missing: Ron Powlus III is in the hiring process to be added as an assistant director of football operations, per numerous sources.
RP3 will report directly to well-regarded Irish DFO tandem of Olivia Mitchell and assistant DFO Nina Baloun.
Notre Dame opens its fourth spring camp under the director of Freeman Wednesday on the heels of the Irish's run to the College Football Playoff title-bout, where they fell to CFP champion Ohio State.
In addition to new general manager Mike Martin, the promoted Carter Auman and new director of player personnel Jourdan Blake, hired from Colorado, Notre Dame has also hired former standout-player Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa away from LSU and added Ariella Ellis as director of on-campus recruiting.
The new hires and moves arrive as the Irish replace most of their personnel staffers following the departures of former general manager Chad Bowden to the top spot at USC, where he's also working with Zaire Turner after plucking her away from Notre Dame, and Caleb Davis following his exit earlier this month to the G.M. post at San Diego State.
Additionally, Notre Dame begins a new defensive era with Chris Ash as its defensive coordinator following Broyles Award winner Al Golden's return to the NFL and Ja'Juan Seider takes over the Irish's uber-talented running backs room following Deland McCullough's exit to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Notre Dame’s also elevated Jesse Schmitt into a top-tier senior analyst role, reflective of Schmitt’s elite work with the Irish special teams units. A former Purdue standout who garnered NFL looks as a long-snapper, Schmitt helped the dynamic Irish special teams units as Marty Biagi was named FootballScoop’s 2024 Special Teams Coordinator of the Year as voted by his peers. Biagi’s win marked the second for Notre Dame in three years; Brian Mason won the honor after the 2022 season, also with Schmitt as the Irish’s special teams analyst.
Notre Dame concludes its spring camp with the annual Blue & Gold Game April 12 inside Notre Dame Stadium.