Tag: Lugard Edokpayi

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.

Michigan landed a commitment from four-star edge defender Lugard Edokpayi out of Bishop McNamara High School in District Heights, Maryland. 247Sports has Edokpayi listed at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds with a consensus grade of .9099. Edokpayi is the sixth-highest-rated commit in the 2024 class.

Edokpayi is a very high-ceiling prospect. He is incredibly long with a rumored 84-inch wingspan and has the frame to carry a ton of healthy weight once in college. Michigan happens to boast one of the best strength coaches in the country in Ben Herbert, so Edokpayi’s physical ceiling will likely be realized.

As a player, Edokpayi is still a blank sheet. There are flashes of excellence where he shows the ability to use his length to out-athlete offensive tackles, but those will need to be rounded into consistent and technically sound gameplay. Michigan’s staff has the opportunity to mold him into essentially whatever they would like. He will probably grow to occupy the same role as Braiden McGregor assuming he can add the weight to do so.

Edokpayi’s highlights show that he is not afraid to try out pass-rush moves. He had success with swim moves, spin moves, and swipes. A lot of pass rushers with his stature would rely solely on bull rushes and leverage, but Edokpay is willing to try stuff out. Is it the most fluid? No. But that’s secondary to a raw prospect like him getting at least a taste of implementing pass-rush moves in a game situation.

So how can Edokpayi turn his potential into talent? The first step is ironically his first step. There’s a lot of wasted movement in Edokpayi’s arc to the quarterback, and it starts at the line of scrimmage. He needs to focus on shooting off the line of scrimmage and getting upfield before he stands up and exposes his chest to the offensive line. Players with his rare length that can develop an elite get-off are often highly sought-after prospects and taken in the first round of the NFL draft.

Next, he will need to fix his anchor in the run game. Even his highlights show that his base is pretty moveable and he mostly relies on his athleticism to recover and get back in the play. Learning how to get violent with his hands to set the edge and collapse against the run is crucial for success in the Big Ten.

Edokpayi is a huge land. Though he may not contribute instantly like Derrick Moore, he and fellow 2024 commit Devon Baxter have the potential to be game wreckers in Ann Arbor. Michigan has a proven history of edge development, and these two should be no different.