Michigan's one biggest unfilled need in the 2024 class was a pass-rushing edge. They had one of their favorite ceilings in Elias Rudolph out of Cincinnati, but That Miami yanked him out in mid-August. They had a high floor too in Jacob Smith, but both he and his heavier twin Jerod decommitted for Kentucky. Jerod was no big loss given Michigan had a high ceiling and floor committed for the Heavy position in Devon Baxter and Dominic Nichols, respectively. But Michigan has been wanting a freaky edge-bender since Ojabo left early, and suddenly found themselves back in the mixer for the senior risers, basketball switchers, late growth spurts, and scouting finds.

Fast forward to signing day and say hello to Lugard "Lu" Edokpayi, a late-growth spurt, senior-rising, basketball-convert scouting find who's been shooting up the rankings. Michigan jumped into the mix in November and quickly shooed off the various Minnesotas and Virginias that had been buzzing around him since the first two weeks of his senior film hit the circuit. It came down to Wolverines and Terps after a Texas A&M trip ended up getting canceled for hometown Maryland, and his Ann Arbor visit was extended over the day he was planning on being in Tallahassee, which is usually a good sign where the wind's blowing.

And oh what storm. The scouts agree: this guy has the balance to ride on the winds, legs to run to the sounds of thunder, feet to dance among lightning bolts, and arms to tear the world asunder. All that's left is to teach him to play the game of football.

GURU RATINGS

These changed in just the last few days; Edokpayi was an 88 and in the 560s to 247 as of last Friday and unranked before mid-September. And now:

RATINGS BY SITE
247: 6'6/215	On3: 6'6.5/215	Rivals: 6'6/225	ESPN: 6'5/225
4*, 92, #169 Ovr #12 DE, #6 MD	4*, 92, #182 Ovr #19 DE, #3 MD	4*, 5.8, NR Ovr #26 WDE, #14 MD	4*, 80, #45 East #41 DE, #13 MD
4.24	4.26	3.83	3.86
COMPOSITE RANKINGS
247 Composite	On3 Consensus	MGoBlog
4*, 0.9181, #220 Ovr #18 DE, #7 MD	4*, 91.9, #176 Ovr #18 DE, #7 MD	4*, #329/801 Ovr #41/88 Edges since 1990
4.18	4.19	4.09

Note that Rivals hasn't ranked him yet, so his position and state rankings are one spot behind the last ranked four-star.

[AFTER THE JUMP: Taco watch: We have the ingredients to make tacos.]

SCOUTING

Nobody was talking about him until he switched from basketball as a junior, went to some camps in the summer, and started showing up in the backfields of DMV powerhouses with such predatory violence you'd think they'd get Sir David Attenborough to narrate it. The Game 1 & 2 highlights resulted in a wave of Power 5 offers, so we might as well start there.

The universal take on this was Edokpayi possesses all of ingredients to be the next David Ojabo, and has only begun to take them out of the fridge. 247's Andrew Ivins eval is evocatively primal:

A spider out on the edge with what appears to be some of the longest limbs in the cycle. Size hasn’t been verified in-person, but reportedly measured 6-foot-6, 218 pounds the summer before his senior season and had a near 84-inch wingspan. Is still figuring out how to consistently create pressure after making the transition from basketball to football, but has put very encouraging stretches of play on tape. Wins more times than not with his abnormal reach, but can also catch opposing tackles off guard with his initial burst. Has operated primarily out of a wide-9 technique at the prep level and will likely need to keep doing the same thing on Saturdays unless he undergoes a major physical transformation and adds a ton of bulk to a rather slender frame. Should be viewed as a developmental pass rusher with a ton of upside. Must improve his game in a variety of different ways, but could prove to be quite the score for someone as his length allows him to attack the corner like few others. Rare features destined to draw the eyes of NFL scouts if he keeps progressing.

But even as far back as mid-September the 247 scouts were noticing Edokpayi had a few dimensions to his game.

owns enormous length with a 7-foot wingspan that aids in his pass-rushing ability, which reveals some nuance in the form of a secondary rush plan when the first move is ineffective. …  plays with active hands that should get stronger as he builds bulk on his massive frame. His functional athleticism shows in his pass rush and on outside receiver reps as a traffic-beating ball-winner.

Rivals' Justin Rowland (the BC guy) called him "a real matchup problem,"

…who can go up over smaller defensive backs and around slower offensive tackles.

Games 3 & 4 led to a second wave of offers, and my former MGo-coworker Tim Sullivan wrote up a full eval($) for his Virginia Tech site.

tall, lean defensive end with good burst off the ball, nice lateral quickness, and closing speed to get to the QB once he breaks into the backfield. He's still adding to his suite of pass-rush moves, and tends to play very high (both off the snap and as he engages offensive linemen), but his physical potential is very high as he continues his conversion from primarily a basketball player when he was younger to an experienced player on the gridiron. Adding strength and understanding leverage can make him an outstanding DE in the long run.

They also caught the eye of Josh McCuiston, a Sooners insider I like because he's often pounding the table for guys Oklahoma doesn't pursue hard enough, and roped in FSU, whose writers saw the tools for themselves.

While you might see a handful on Sundays, 6-foot-6 edge rushers aren’t all that common, and there certainly are not many prospects of that stature in the high school ranks each recruiting cycle who have the athleticism necessary to garner real interest from top programs. Edokpayi absolutely does. As he shared with Zach, his blend of size and athleticism is very rare and immensely intriguing for a defensive end prospect. Edopayi’s combination of fluidity, foot quickness, and length makes for a defensive end with elite pass-rush potential. He does not lack strength or physicality either within a rather wiry current build, and he has plenty of ability to move in space, which should all make him a good run defender after some time, as long as he can fill out nicely into his frame.

Rivals Adam Friedman described a very raw prospect with no ceiling (video):

Edokpayi is a high-potential defensive end. He is really new to the position. He only started playing defensive end full-time in the last year or two. He is an excellent athlete. He has a strong basketball background. He has great quickness at the line of scrimmage, and he's becoming a much more aggressive and strong defensive end, especially at the point of attack.

After the third installment Rivals moved Edokpayi to a four-star and thought he was a lot more polished than at first glance.

With his basketball background, Edokpayi is an impressive athlete on the field. He began his football career as a receiver but began focusing on defensive end before this season and has really taken off.

Edokpayi has elite quickness at the snap, is rapidly improving his hand techniques as a pass rusher and run defender, and he is stronger than his lean frame indicates. He has a great motor and chases down ball carriers across the field. Edokpayi also does a good job quickly redirecting if his first move isn't effective.

The Wolverine's EJ Holland got out to the DMV and spoke to Bishop McNamara HC Greg Calhoun($):

They see Lu’s frame and his twitch. He’s very raw and has a lot of potential and upside. What they are getting out of this is that Lu is still a kid you can develop into what you want. Sometimes, it scares you if they are peaking at this moment. With Lu, he has it and still has room to grow. … I think he has the potential to be a first round guy … He has the athleticism to maneuver.

Calhoun suggested "other Big Ten schools" (read: Penn State had him in camp this summer) were concerned about the lack of weight, and that Edokpayi has added some since. Holland thinks Edokpayi has "an extremely high ceiling" and "is still raw from a technical standpoint." Brandon Brown, another former MGoWriter, noted "length and speed" before the rawness. You get the idea.

Ivins and co. put up a reevaluation this week and shot him up to the top-170 based on that frame and burst.

There aren’t many pass rushers this cycle with Edokpayi’s dimensions. He’s over 6-foot-6 and blessed with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. The former basketball player will need to bulk up, but he won with both his length and first step.

OFFERS

Penn State had him on campus in June and again in September but didn't offer; Temple, Old Dominion, Marshall, Akron, etc. were in at the time. The early September round included Virginia, Minnesota, Cal, Vandy, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, and Rutgers and BC the following week. Indiana, Pitt, FSU, Texas A&M, MSU, Maryland, and Michigan were in by mid-November, and Tennessee and Syracuse lagged.

HIGH SCHOOL

Bishop McNamara went 0-4 this year in a brutal region that includes Good Counsel (Kris Jenkins, Blake Countess), DeMatha (Olu, Josh Wallace), St. John's (Q-Jo, Cam Goode), and Gonzaga (Doug Dutch). It's a Catholic school founded in the early '60s that went co-ed in the early 1990s. They've produced a few pros in Brandon Coleman (Rutgers), Jerome Couplin (William & Mary), and Tyoka Jackson (Penn State). Their only 5-star in the Rivals era was Maryland's OL Damian Prince, but they produce at least a 3-star every year, and most years send at least one guy to the Terps. Their next D-I prospect is 2025 cornerback Benjamin Chandler.

I KNEW A MAN FROM LUGARD

Located on the River Reisendrelle where it joins the River Storm, the trading city of Lugard gets a bad rap for thievery and licentiousness, for its inns with bawdy names like the Nine Horse Hitch, and for being the hometown of Padan Fain, which is unfair because it also produced the heroic sitter Seaine Sedai. Depending on where you're from the song "I Knew a Man from Lugard" may be better known as "A Tinker Saw My Ankles."

STATS

None.

FAKE 40 TIME

Lugard attended a National Preps camp in June which reported a sub-4.8 and some other measurements.

Given they talk about his burst and he plays receiver this is surprisingly reasonable. I give it two FAKEs out of five.

VIDEO

I showed you games 1 and 2, but you should still watch the sequel 3 & 4, and its sequel 5 & 6, and of course the triumphant finale 7th & 8th.

Here's that predator in the wild clip if you missed it:

And this catch:

And a few highlights from his DMV Gridiron profile. Camp footage from NPC.

And his Hudl page.

ETC

"Eh-doh-PAI-yee." The k is silent. Basketball. Played WR and DE. All-WCAC. Dad is from Nigeria and goes back for a time every year. Has a future spelling Alex at Fee Fi Foe Film:

"Man, Rutgers was impressive," he said. "They held their own and (led) Ohio State at halftime. They impressed on that and they would’ve had it if it weren’t for some minor mishaps."

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

We have the ingredients to make Tacos! Or Ojabos. But you know the drill. Edokpayi is a twitchy, lengthy, athletic ceiling. Michigan will put him in the Herbert machine, teach him pass-rush moves and a little bit of linebacking, and hopefully in 3-4 years to have a super-bendy athletic freak to terrorize Ohio State pass protectors until their coach complains about the weather.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

They're back to being full at defensive line, and likely done with drama for today unless they flip a late defensive back or receiver. Gatlin Bair is expected to wait until February.

THE CLASS AS IT STANDS

OFFENSE
Pos	Player	State	Stars	In a nutshell
QB	Jadyn Davis	NC	4.4⬇⬇⬇	Smooth, accurate field general
RB	Jordan Marshall	OH	4.5	Accelerates South-North
RB	Micah Ka'apana	NV	3.9⬆⬆	Well-balanced accelerator
WR	I'Marion Stewart	IL	4.0⬆	Ronnie slick/quick, #1 WR to M
WR	Channing Goodwin	NC	3.7⬇	Chain-moving son of Jon
TE	Brady Prieskorn	MI	4.3⬇⬇	Colston Loveland Midwest
TE	Hogan Hansen	WA	4.0⬇⬇	Colston Loveland West
LT	Blake Frazier	TX	4.2	Athletic son of Steve
RT	Andrew Sprague	MO	4.3⬆	Basketballin' grow-a-Long
RG	Luke Hamilton	OH	3.9⬇	Midwestern mauler
LG	Ben Roebuck	OH	3.8⬇	Bigger Midwestern mauler
C	Jake Guarnera	FL	3.9⬆	Mauler but center
DEFENSE
Pos	Player	State	Stars	In a nutshell
NT	Deyvid Palepale	PA	3.7⬇	Penei's Alaskan nose cousin
DT	Manuel Beigel	CT	3.5⬆	Lengthy German via Choate
DT	Owen Wafle	NJ	4.0	Little nose with bite
DT	Ted Hammond	OH	3.9⬇	Cincy build-a-bear
SDE	Dominic Nichols	MD	3.8⬆	Mike Morris-ish SDE
SDE	Devon Baxter	MD	3.9⬆⬆	Super long 4-3 grow-an-edge.
WDE	Lugard Edokpayi	MD	4.1⬆⬆⬆	Raw DE/WR Ojabo ceiling
LB	Mason Curtis	TN	4.1⬇⬇	Long athlete moving up
LB	Jeremiah Beasley	MI	4.0	Explosive hitter from Belleville
LB	Jaden Smith	NC	4.0	Underscouted Uche/WLB
HSP	Cole Sullivan	PA	4.0⬆⬆	Hybrid LB with crazy athleticism
S	Jacob Oden	MI	4.0⬇⬇	Tall son of coach
CB	Jo'Ziah Edmond	IN	4.0⬆⬆⬆	PU decommit, long CB/WR ATH
Nk	Jeremiah Lowe	KY	3.4	Sainristilian athlete