2024 Season Countdown: #93 Lugard Edokpayi

 

Lugard Edokpayi (image via SI)

Name: Lugard Edokpayi
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 225 lbs.
High school: Bowie (MD) Bishop McNamara
Position: Defensive end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Edokpayi was a senior in high school. He made 22 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and 5 pass breakups.
TTB Rating: 84

Maybe it's just my perception, but Edokpayi is one of the most overlooked members of the 2024 class, especially because he's #152 overall in the 247 Composite. Michigan got a highly ranked edge rusher, and nobody seems to talk about him. And that includes me, because I never wrote a commitment post for him.

Edokpayi is a 6'6", 225 lb. athlete who made a somewhat obvious choice to pick Michigan; other suitors included Florida State, Minnesota, Rutgers, and Tennessee, so it wasn't exactly a who's-who of colleges, especially for a top-200 player. He only played in six games as a senior due to injury, so his numbers don't exactly jump out, either. Bishop McNamara also used him as a wide receiver, and while he shows decent speed, there's not a lot of smoothness to his ability to catch the football. I don't think he's in danger of being moved to tight end.

But Edokpayi does have a nice, natural stance and a good get-off. His first step is very good, and he shows some nice lateral quickness to keep offensive tackles guessing. 247 mentions him having an 84" wingspan, and when you combine that with his ability to dip his inside shoulder and use his quickness, I think Michigan has a very good prospect here. It will take some time for his strength to catch up to the rest of his attributes, so we're probably looking at a redshirt season. But if he's added some strength, he could be a dark horse to be one of those freshmen who makes 1 or 2 sacks and shows a glimpse of what's to come in the future.

Prediction: Redshirt