decommits
emil ekiyor

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[Isaiah Hole/247]

After an official visit to Tuscaloosa turned the tide, it seemed likely. After he cancelled this weekend's visit, it seemed inevitable. Now it's official: four-star IN OG Emil Ekiyor decommitted from Michigan and flipped to Alabama this afternoon.

As Sam Webb stated in the post linked aboved, Michigan wanted to keep Ekiyor in the fold, and they've pursued other interior linemen since it became clear the interest between Ekiyor and Alabama was serious.

At #105 on the composite, Ekiyor was the top-ranked player among Michigan's 2018 commits. While Mustapha Muhammad, at #109, isn't far off, Ekiyor was the only interior offensive lineman in the class, though it isn't a pressing need. (Four-star linemen Jalen Mayfield and Ryan Hayes both project to tackle or, in Hayes's case, tight end.) If the class calculator hasn't failed me, Michigan holds steady as the #14 class in the country and #3 in the Big Ten behind Ohio State and Penn State at first and fourth, respectively.

Comments

Squash34

October 29th, 2017 at 7:02 PM ^

The only thing is he is a 19 kid. However, guard is not a big need in this class considering both starters are sophomores and there are a few other young guard types that have look like ok back ups. So, although it sucks losing a guy like this, if it has to happen on the line OG is far better than T.

Joined: 09/13/2016

MGoPoints: 3062

jackw8542

October 29th, 2017 at 4:21 PM ^

It will never make sense to me for anyone to choose Alabama over Michigan.  He says he will go there to continue his education and play football but will only actually be going there to play football.  If he really cared about the education part, he would still be planning on coming to Michigan.

Joined: 10/30/2010

MGoPoints: 4265

jackw8542

October 29th, 2017 at 4:46 PM ^

shut up about the education component.  I can understand people wanting to play football and I can understand people wanting to not have to study hard, but there is a huge difference between a Michigan degree and an Alabama degree.  If anyone wants to go there, it's their choice, but, for example, even a friend of mine who went to OSU finds it hilarious that Hand said he was picking Alabama over Michigan for its engineering program.

To a degree, though, what you so self-righteously and smugly say is beside the point.  Among its many other problems, the University of Alabama is still in Alabama.  For every societal reason I can think of, as well as every education reason, I will never understand anyone picking Alabama over Michigan.

Joined: 10/30/2010

MGoPoints: 4265

Hail Harbo

October 29th, 2017 at 5:21 PM ^

Hand may or may not want to be an engineer, but let's take him at his word that he wanted an engineering degree.  If he believed the odds of being accepted into the Michigan engineering school was approaching zero, while that of Alabama was closer to one, can you really fault him for choosing Alabama?  After all, except for a very small handful of engineers, the name of the school doesn't make much difference, having the degree makes the difference.  So, long story short, A 'Bama engineering degree trumps no Michigan engineering degree.

Also, winning trumps not winning.  So there is that too.

Joined: 06/18/2015

MGoPoints: 13428

Inflammable Flame

October 29th, 2017 at 5:23 PM ^

Are you mad that a good player wants to compete for championships right away while having the ability to get a free 4 year degree? You're coming off as pretentious as fuck or butt hurt...either way you calling someone else "self-righteous" after what you're saying is ironic to say the least.

Joined: 11/14/2015

MGoPoints: 1854

ak47

October 29th, 2017 at 8:37 PM ^

Alabama is a good school, pretending like it’s some shit fake school is ridiculous bullshit and to claim the kids don’t care about education is paternalistic and being an asshole. They are looking for the best blend of football and academics, not just one or the other. If all caring about education meant was picking the highest rated school recruits picking Michigan over Stanford or northwestern or duke, etc would mean they are lying about caring about education.

Joined: 05/05/2011

MGoPoints: 33614

Wolverine 73

October 29th, 2017 at 4:31 PM ^

Someone wanting to play for Alabama, obviously. Or wanting to play for Michigan, obviously. What I cannot fathom is someone who thinks Michigan is the place he wants to be deciding later on that Alabama is really the place he wants to be. So Hamilton flips to Stanford. I get that. Or someone flips to ND. Ok. But unless your sole criterion for school is the likely success of your football team, how does anyone say “I want to go to school at Michigan” and then switch to “No, make that Alabama”?

Joined: 08/03/2009

MGoPoints: 27110

I Like Burgers

October 29th, 2017 at 4:42 PM ^

I can't understand people that don't understand why someone would pick Bama over Michigan.

We're all Michigan homers here, but in your personal life, if you had a job offer to a company that was somewhere around the 15th-25th best company in your field but just had a couple of down quarters, and then suddenly the top company in your industry, who has had years of success and came through with a comparable offer, you would really turn that down?  You'd be crazy not to.

Joined: 10/06/2012

MGoPoints: 30574

jackw8542

October 29th, 2017 at 5:22 PM ^

First of all, these kids are going to a university.  By your logic, since Michigan is the highest ranked public university in the world and Alabama not in the top 100, everyone should pick Michigan.

Your logic is also flawed in that Alabama is not offering anyone a job.  It is a student-athlete combo that is offered, so what ought to be evaluated is the relative worth of the two components.  Not everyone who goes to Alabama gets a "job" in the sense of even starting on the football team, let alone getting drafted and playing in the NFL.  Everyone who does go to Alabama and finishes does get a degree that is worth much less than a Michigan degree.

Further, even if you are looking at it like a job, there are a number of factors that go into any job choice, one of which is do I want to live there.  With Alabama, you get Tuscaloosa.  With Michigan, you get Ann Arbor.  With Alabama, you get the deep South, and the accompanying societal issues.  With Michigan, you get the North and an absolutely great place to live.

Does Alabama have that many more players in the NFL than Michigan?  It has a few more, as a result of Hoke and RR, but not that many more.  Will it continue to have more?  Not if Harbaugh keeps pumping people into the NFL like he did last year.

Joined: 10/30/2010

MGoPoints: 4265

MGoBender

October 29th, 2017 at 6:39 PM ^

Ok, jackw, you're maize and blue glasses are securing fastened it seems.

As far as places to live....  The high in Tuscaloosa tomorrow is 71 degrees.  In Ann Arbor... it's not.  Yeah, Ann Arbor is a wonderful place to live if you're a grad student that likes craft beer, or have a young family with kids about to begin school, or are recently retired.  For an 18-year old, however, the difference between one college campus and another isn't that big of a deal.  There's frat parties everywhere.  There's Uber and late night eats everwhere.  

Joined: 03/26/2010

MGoPoints: 15128

Other Andrew

October 29th, 2017 at 4:55 PM ^

Because he's a fringe top 100 recruit, and ultimately chose Alabama. It means his primary criteria is to play at the best football program. Right now that is quite obviously Alabama.

Don't get me wrong, it sucks that he bailed. But Michigan being a close second indicates that for such recruits the program is in that tier and with those priorities. Yes, I know the same could be said of Hand when Hoke was coach, but it was a major exception then. Now Michigan truly competes with Alabama for recruits and wins some of the time (Gary, Solomon, Collins).

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 7623

bacon

October 29th, 2017 at 4:33 PM ^

It’s hard to fault anyone for picking Bama right now. They’re in the picture for the national championship every year. But everything is cyclical, remember when you would say the same about Tennessee, Florida, USC, ND, LSU, Oklahoma, etc. One player doesn’t make a program.

Joined: 01/04/2009

MGoPoints: 18646

TallyWolverine

October 29th, 2017 at 4:34 PM ^

Alabama is an NFL production machine. If academics isnt his #1 priority, so what? Given the choice between playing for a perennial national title contender, and a school that can't even win it's conference division, most kids would pick option A. If we ever become a legitimate contender, we'll start winning more of these recruiting battles.

Joined: 01/31/2012

MGoPoints: 13334

jdemille9

October 29th, 2017 at 6:45 PM ^

He will be continuing his education there, it's a school. He never said he wanted to get the best education he could, just that he was CONTINUING it. Not like he said he was choosing Bama because of the education. Step off the ledge bro.

Joined: 01/29/2011

MGoPoints: 8477

BoFlex

October 29th, 2017 at 5:50 PM ^

It does seems likely that Michigan will probably finish closer to the low-teens to high-20s though. Teams below Michigan like USC, Clemson, LSU, and Alabama are still in the running/favored for some top-100 guys.

Compared to Harbaugh's last two top-10 finishes, it seemed like that would be the pace/benchmark for the rest of his tenure. It would feel a little different too if Michigan was in the running for some top-100 prospects that they could nab near signing day, but I guess I don't follow recruiting close enough to know if there is anyone besides Tyler Friday that Michigan is still waiting on.

Joined: 05/30/2011

MGoPoints: 5276

Jordan2323

October 29th, 2017 at 4:20 PM ^

Helps our improving run game. Some kids don't want to be a part of building something, they just want to go somewhere where the path has already been paved for them. He would have been another road grader for us. Oh well!

Joined: 11/09/2013

MGoPoints: 48741

rindyn

October 29th, 2017 at 4:20 PM ^

We just brought in 6 lineman last year. We're bringing in Mayfield then Hayes as our project. Hate to see a good kid go but with how young most of our line still is I'm not too worried until next year's class.

Joined: 05/28/2016

MGoPoints: 550