ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan football is no stranger to getting late additions to a class in recruiting: Prospects no one in the media or the fan base are talking about suddenly pledge to the Wolverines on signing day.
Whether Darrius Clemons, Jyaire Hill (who Michigan fans were paying attention to) or edge rusher Lugard Edokpayi, it’s certain that some four-star that didn’t appear to be Ann Arbor-bound ends up wearing a winged helmet.
Edokpayi, who has not been seen wearing maize and blue as a true freshman, is set to make his first appearance (even if it’s only on the sideline) on Saturday, but the former four-star has abundant promise — evinced by his No. 39 recruiting ranking on On3’s proprietary ratings.
WolverinesWire asked junior edge rusher TJ Guy what he’s seen from Edokpayi in camp and his description should have fans salivating for when his time comes.
“Like, 6-7, something like that,” Guy said. “Arms like longer than long, and he has natural pass rush talent definitely is going to be a problem once he learns the fundamentals and how to play the game at this level. He’s gonna be like freaky, freaky.”
The coaching staff is likewise enthusiastic about Edokpayi’s future.
From defensive line coach Lou Esposito’s view, it may take some time for Edokpayi to see the field. But it isn’t unusual to see edge rushers get early playing time, but you often see them take time to develop. For every Rashan Gary, Aidan Hutchinson and Kwity Paye, there’s a Josh Uche, Chase Winovich and Mike Morris — players who require some time in the weight room and with the playbook.
But the raw talent is there with Edokpayi, and Esposito is beyond thrilled about the potential he’s flashed thus far in fall camp.
“He is an absolute athletic freak,” Esposito said. “He is going to be a year in the weight room and he’s going to be — he’s 225, 230 right now — he’s going to be 255 pounds and look exactly the same because he’s 6-7 and super, super long. He has a great knack to use his length. He still makes some freshman mistakes, like he’s running by the quarterback.
“But the thing that I appreciate about him is when you talk to him, he doesn’t make the same mistake over again, which is great. It’s the same thing with Dom (Nichols). Those are the kids that are coachable, that make things easy to do because now you can move on to the next thing. Hey, now we’ll talk about hand placement. Now we talk about your eyes. So it’s really exciting. That group is really, really good.”
Will Michigan football fans see Edokpayi play on Saturday? We’ll find out at 7:34 p.m. EDT.