Michigan received a commitment Thursday from Fort Wayne (Indiana) Northrop four-star defensive end Ifeanyi Emedobi.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Emedobi only started playing football last season, but his 4.48 speed and explosiveness (37-inch vertical) made him an instant success. He was an all-conference selection, recording 59 tackles (21 for loss), 6½ sacks and three forced fumbles.
Emedobi chose Michigan over Penn State, Minnesota and Indiana, who made up his final four. The Wolverines were actually one of the last schools to offer, but quickly built a relationship with him and his family.
“They came pretty late, but they made up for it by showing a lot of love as well, like showing a lot of interest,” Emedobi said.
Emedobi moved his official visit with the Wolverines from June 19 to June 12. He came up with his parents and grandparents and the visit was the final piece needed for him to make his decision.
“I definitely feel like Michigan checked the boxes that I wanted to be checked,” he said. “It had the family atmosphere, it had the development piece with Coach (Kyle) Whittingham being at Utah and turning three stars into good players.”
Emedobi’s father, Sam Emedobi, played at Eastern Michigan. Ifeanyi was more interested in tech than football, though, hence the late start.
Once he got going in the sport, he took off. In the end, his father saw a lot of reasons to choose Michigan. Whittingham, defensive coordinator Jay Hill, and defensive line coaches Lewis Powell, Larry Black and David Denham all played a role.
“I love that they’ve made them a priority by how many times they came to the school,” Sam Emedobi said. “I love the communication with all the coaches that have been communicating with him. It hasn’t just been one coach, but several coaches that have been communicating with him. I want to make sure that he’s developed. It’s pretty much development. I want to be able to see that they can develop him into being the star that I know he is.”
Rivals has Emedobi ranked the No. 265 overall recruit in his class and No. 23 edge defender.
Michigan now has 17 commitments in their 2027 class.
Victors Weekend brings top recruits to Ann Arbor
This weekend is the final official visit weekend of the summer. Class of 2027 recruits can take official visits again during the season but with many around the country making commitments, this is essentially the last chance to make a play for these recruits barring any potential flips or late movement in the fall.
The notable names to watch include four–star cornerback Monsanna Torbert. The Cincinnati native once was committed to Indiana, but re-opened and the Wolverines are battling Notre Dame and Ohio State.
Four-star Greenwood (Mississippi) linebacker Frederrick Ford was a late addition. He was scheduled to visit LSU, but changed to Michigan. A long 6-foot-5, 190-pound prospect, he is a priority recruit for the Michigan staff. UCLA commit Cain Brackney is also scheduled to visit.
Las Vegas Arbor View quarterback Thaddeus Thatcher and receiver Damani Warren will visit.
Michigan also plans to have much of its class of committed players on their official visits as well.
Allen Trieu covers Midwest football recruiting for On3. He has been featured on the Big Ten Network on its annual Signing Day Show. His Michigan and Michigan State recruiting columns appear weekly at detroitnews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Trieu: Ifeanyi Emedobi, 4-star DE, picks Michigan. Here’s why
Reporting by Allen Trieu, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Allen Trieu, Special to The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
