Michigan football had a solid, but not spectacular early signing day on Wednesday, with all 26 pre-committed prospects inking their pledges to the Wolverines. Not every team was so fortunate.
What’s more, the maize and blue managed to get another commitment in four-star edge rusher Lugard Edokpayi, who came on late and visited Ann Arbor earlier in December. Edokpayi has a lot of upside and many across the industry are taking notice.
You can count On3’s Charles Power among them. The director of scouting at On3 put together a list of the 13 ‘best program fits’ coming out of early signing day and the instant Wolverine made the cut.
4-star EDGE Lugard Edokpayi – Michigan
Power’s Take: “Michigan has made a living in signing and developing high upside prospects along the defensive front and Lugard Edokpayi looks to be the next in line. At over 6-foot-6 and around 220 pounds with plus length, the Maryland native has a big frame that should really fill out after time in Michigan’s strength program. He’s a twitchy athlete off the edge, drawing on his basketball background. Edokpayi burst on the scene as a senior after entering the fall as a relative unknown. Given his rapid ascent and strong play this fall, it appears as though he’s just scratching the surface of immense potential. With Michigan’s track record of developing these types of prospects, I’m willing to bet Edokpayi becomes a difference-maker for the Wolverines.”
What will be interesting to see is the role strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert plays in developing the body of the young pass rusher. At 220 pounds, he has a lot of room to add to his frame while also maintaining his explosiveness.
While it may be a slight project to get Edokpayi into the rotation given his need for added bulk, there’s always a good chance he could show up in year one as a SAM linebacker and still find playing time.