Previously: Last year’s profiles, K Adam Samaha, K James Turner (Tr), S Brandyn Hillman, CB DJ Waller, CB Cameron Calhoun, CB Jyaire Hill, HSP/LB Jason Hewlett, LB Hayden Moore, LB Semaj Bridgeman, LB Ernest Hausmann (Tr), OLB Breeon Ishmail, DE Aymeric Koumba.

Colleyville (Covenant Christian Academy), TX – 6'5/270
		247: 6'4.5/260                       4.48*	4*, 95, #107 Ovr #15 DL, #21 TX
		On3: 6'4.5/220                       4.46*	4*, 94, #123 Ovr #16 DE, #26 TX
		Rivals: 6'5/260                       4.06*	4*, 5.8, #241 Ovr #16 WDE, #41 TX
		ESPN: 6'5/260                       4.40*	4*, 84, #118 Ovr. #15 DE, #20 TX
		Composite         4.45* / 4.36*	4*, #120/#123 Ovr #13/#15 DE, #21/#22 TX
		MGoAverage                       4.35*	4*, #193/788 Ovr #26/85 Edges since '90
		YMRMFSPA	Mike Morris+
Other Suitors	Miami (YTM), Okla, MSU, Bama?, Stan, LSU
Previously On MGoBlog	Hello by Alex Drain
Notes	Pronounced 'N'-oh, not een-oh.
Film:
Senior Highlights:Junior Season:Hudl. On3 game clips. A TFL.

If you've been following this series you've probably been looking forward to this one. Finally, you say, a break from all these academic, 220-pound basketball players in non-elite leagues from Youngstown to Aquitaine who started playing football just a few years ago, chose Michigan over like, Kentucky or MSU, and will need several years in the Herbitization chamber before they even pick a position.

So, okay, Enow is those things, but he also threatened several Texas state records, impressed at a national bowl, and nearly cracked the top-100 on three of four sites. Now it may be true that Michigan State led for most of his recruitment, and was the other top option when he committed, but that was because Etta was enamored with "Coach BT" Brandon Jordan, who's no longer there. Interest from Alabama seemed real enough, though unreciprocated. Texas A&M, Texas, and Wisconsin had him at the top of their early priority lists. USC was trying to gauge interest. Stanford was getting optimistic. At the end of the cycle Oklahoma came hard, and Miami (yes THAT Miami) came harder after they flipped Eno's close friend Collins Acheampong.

There was also the problem of his competition level, which EJ Holland colorfully described as barely above the level of The Fort. Enow performed well enough at the padless camps that line prospects were credited when they crushed him. As a result the scouts seem to have a good consensus of what Etta will become--Mike Morris-plus--but can't seem to agree what he is now: Is he a technician with a trainer, or a guy who doesn't know how to use his hands yet? Oh, and there's currently a 55-pound spread in reported weights.

[After the JUMP: Let's see if we can get through one of these without using the word "raw."]

---------------------------

How Heavy is the Heavy?

The picture of Etta is the very kind of biglargehuge edge defender that Macdonald/Minter prefer for the position lately called Heavy. Weights for Etta are actually all over the place, and sometimes nonsensical. He was listed at 260 to On3 when he committed, and that was updated to 220 at some point in the last few months. And before you take the most recent weight as gospel, Michigan said 270 when they published their Signing Day roster at the same time. Chris Singletary noted a 40-pound weight gain between March 2021 and 2022 to get to 260 at the point last summer when most of the scouting came in, including Singletary's.

Checking at verified 6-foot-4.5 and 261-pounds with an 81-inch wingspan. He has the look of a major college player with his overall physical build. … Looking good with a powerful trunk the majority of his weight is in his base to provide explosiveness and strength. There is room still to develop and add definition in his upper body with a broad shouldered frame. Ultimately it is going to be interesting to see how his body matures and ends up.

The scouts at On3 repeated came in an inch shorter on the wingspan but added what I assume are really good numbers for a guy that size.

Has the frame and build to add quality mass throughout his body. Measured in at 6-foot-4 and a half, just over 260 pounds with a 6-foot-8 wingspan and 10-inch hand. Jumped a 24-inch vertical and ran a 7.53 3-cone in the spring prior to his senior season. Ran a 12.54 100m and 28.45 200m during his junior track season at over 260 pounds.

Brandon Justice at Rivals went through a list of edges sized like Etta, and noticed a ton of 1st rounders and Pro Bowlers (though many were top-5 overall or Watts). That was where TTB wants to see him end up, though a Kris Jenkins-style DT might be a possibility if he grows more.

I am curious to see how his body develops. His speed is something that I think could translate to playing defensive end, but his thickness may necessitate a move to a 4i/3-tech position down the road. I think Michigan would be best off trying to keep him lean, get him a little bit stronger, and play him at an edge spot.

EJ Holland said he didn't think he needs much more physical development to get on the field, and described a "high-floor, high-ceiling" athlete who meets the measurements.

Many recruits have failed the EJ height test this season (stop lying about height!!!) but Etta passed it with flying colors. He is a legit three inches taller than me, making his verified 6-foot-4 1/2 listing accurate. Etta has a wide-bodied frame that has packed on weight extremely well. He’s right at about 255 pounds and already has the look of a college player. Physically, he’s ready to come in and play right away.

Wait'll EJ learns about 40 times.

247's Brandon Huffman caught up with Etta at the Polynesian Bowl last winter, at which point Etta said he was "like 275 and I want to be like 255" so there's some good weight loss to look forward to when the Phonebooks come out. He also explained that was because his team needed him to bulk up and play DT, which probably means he'll need more work on his outside technique.

Can He Play Outside?

Apparently yes. Etta told Huffman that Michigan explicitly wanted him to play OLB/Edge. On3 said his "closing speed is evident in his play," which EJ Holland took in in-person($):

The first thing that pops out about Etta is his speed. Etta is extremely quick off the ball and was in the backfield in what seemed like half a second. The opposing offensive tackle stood zero chance. Etta is also very nimble and moves well for his size, which is why I mentioned that I wanted to see him on offense. Etta has a soccer and basketball background, and you can definitely see that in his feet. I also likes the way Etta uses his hands and length. He can still develop more pass rushing moves, but they aren’t really needed at this level. Etta can basically dominate the man in front of him with his sheer strength and power. I actually liked that he showed some versatility as opposed to just bull rushing.

What he can't learn playing on a bad team against Texas Division IV competition that all game avoiding he gets from working out with former ISU great James "Tank" Reed, a Saginaw native who's now a defensive line development specialist, and thinks he's sent us his new poster boy:

“For a guy his size, he’s very limber and flexible,” Reed said. “He’s more flexible than I was. He’s explosive. He has great hips and great bend. He’s going to be the total package. He can play the run and transition to pass rush. He’s instinctual. He’s just a really complete player.”

The other good news is he still absolutely crushed that competition. The numbers are eye-popping, as in 60 sacks over the course of his career, including 122 tackles, 34 TFLs, 20 sacks, five forced fumbles, and two defensive touchdowns as a senior. That was somehow a comedown from his 124-tackle (92-solo), 40-TFL, 22.5-sack junior season. For a defensive end that's incredible. For a defensive tackle it's Suh. For a guy who started putting up those numbers in his 3rd and 4th years of ever playing the game, it's…wow how bad was this league?

It was probably pretty bad, since all the scouts say there are things to learn. EJ Holland used the word we were hoping to avoid.

Etta is still a bit raw, but he has great length and strength.

Touch the Banner gave him an 87, which is high for him, but noticed plenty for Elston to work on.

Etta does a decent job of recognizing cut blocks, but he needs to continue working on using his hands to keep blockers off his feet. Cut blocks can stymie him, but he’s athletic enough to handle them better. Etta also could use his hands better to disengage from blockers. Sometimes his hands/arms seem to be afterthoughts rather than intentional weapons.

On the other hand he saw everything but the Uchean dip as a pass-rusher:

Etta also gets low in his stance, fires out low, and can be a threat coming off the edge. While he doesn’t have a great shoulder dip to get around the edge, he does a nice job of using leverage to at least push the pocket and get blockers off balance. He also has active feet and can change direction well to redirect and get after quarterbacks/ball carriers who change direction.

The On3 report agreed he "lacks ideal hand usage and technique at the point of attack" and added a critique of Etta's pad level. But Brandon Justice liked that he "can rush the passer more ways than one," and thought the pass-rushing technique was fine though "his upper body will need to get broader and stronger all-around."

He has a ton of bend, and his flexibility creates his versatility. Etta's handwork is pristine, and his technique lends him a ton of wins at the line of scrimmage. His leverage skills and ability to read and react to pass or run plays make him an all-around edge defender. He needs to add muscle to round out his profile, but he's otherwise as complete as any in the class.

How RAWRRRR is the Motor?

Make no mistake, this guy was on the top of the board for Mike Elston when the DL coach arrived, and Etta's motor was the reason. On3 says he has can't-be-taught effort in buckets and praised his "motor and willingness to pursue backside jumps off the screen." Touch the Banner, who has football coach sensibilities, sounded like he was about to fill those buckets with happy tears.

The first thing that stands out to me about Etta is his effort. He appears to be a high-motor player and you can see that in his play—pumping his arms, diving to make tackles, etc. Michigan has had good success with those types – such as Chase Winovich and Aidan Hutchinson – in recent years.

Chris Singletary said "his motor and physicality are just a couple of the things" that make him a possible early round selection down the line. Justice compared him to Raiders All-Pro Maxx Crosby, another guy who played some Mario Ojemdia-esque 3T in high school, in part because of how Crosby will not stop.

Can He Stop the Run?

Hypothetically he's fine, though the Texas D-IV competition did their best to avoid providing any data. Justice didn't mind theorizing.

His ability to defend the outside and inside runs is what separates him from most in the position. His film showcases his ability to make instinctive reads on the run designs and make powerful inside moves between the tackles, or use his speed and play recognition skillfulness to bring down ball carriers outside the hashes.

On3 also mentioned the instincts and linebacker speed while 247's Singletary saw plenty of actual run responsibility.

Etta is an above average athlete that plays with good technique. Always is coming forward on the snap of the ball, keeps live feet and good eye placement coming out of his stance. He plays with his hands where he has a good solid punch to control blockers and shed to get to the ball. Nice body quickness with good twitch and looseness. Good ability to chase the ball-carrier down from the backside. Very active off the ball and physical at the point of attack.

Share Your Build!

Harbaugh described what may be a fellow Linus Tech Tips subscriber.

He builds computers from scratch. He orders the parts, puts them together.

It's actually not that hard, Jim. You start with a motherboard/processor combo that matches what you want to do, overdo it on memory because you're a tabs whore who grew up during The Scarcity, max out your OS drive unless you're responsible enough to manage it, figure out your hard storage needs, don't overdo it on power, stick to a halfway decent air cooler and thermal paste unless you're trying to make a piece of art, make sure your case manufacturer isn't going out of business (oops!), then watch hours of JayzTwoCents videos to navigate a graphics card market dominated by gamers and miners when you just want to have three monitors going while you break down film (my $180 RX 580 from 2019 is holding up, but can't blame a guy for looking).

The only tool you need is a small Phillips screwdriver, though it helps to have a four-claw if you've got chubby callused fingers like mine.

Etc. Track and basketball. Scored 11.9 ppg and 8.3 rpg his sophomore year in hoops, ran a 12.54 100m and 28.45 200m during his junior track season at over 260 pounds. 4.0 student and Stanford offer. School rules prevented him from enrolling early. Has lived in the Pacific Northwest, Georgia, Florida, Africa, and Texas. Seth-like setup:

“I have two monitors because I started day trading recently,” Etta said. “I had to get a third monitor to track the stock market.”

Windows 11 lets you split windows, man. It's a game-changer.

Why Mike Morris+? EJ Holland had the same comp so I'll just let him take this.

I’m not sure what Morris looked like as a recruit since I wasn’t on the Michigan beat yet, but Etta is tailor-made to fill his role. I know some mentioned that Etta could bulk into a three, but trust me, watching Etta play on Fridays is exactly like watching Morris play on Saturdays. … has the measureables, athleticism and power to do exactly what Morris is doing as a bigger EDGE. And Etta has more upside given his limited playing experience.

I was on the Michigan beat and Morris got the blog-standard Wormley comp as yet another underrated, intelligent, large Don Brown-style Anchor. Morris's final form was as a thicc, responsible, and smart heavy edge who could play some inside. He never had the kind of bend to be a Chase Young, but his bull move and a variety of others were enough to be effective as a pass-rusher. Etta has a higher ceiling than Morris, but Morris got so close to his ceiling that's just a sweetener. Wormley works just as well, as a 6'5"/270 freshman who played against terrible high school competition, but Wormley's main asset on arrival was strength where Morris was a son-of-a-pro with good technique and work to do on his upper body.

I added a "+" because Morris was a ceilinged recruit, and his dad's alma mater allowed him to slip out of the class during a coaching transition. Etta was the guy anyone who sensed weakness in Michigan's "transformational not transactional" class was trying to pry out of it.

Guru Reliability: Medium-low. They mostly agree, but Rivals is traditionally the site that ranks guys higher when they're closer to the field, so it's odd that they're the ones who came in low. There were plenty of (mostly padless) camps but the tape is hard to extrapolate into Big Ten-caliber play. One site has him 55 pounds (recently!) lighter than his last reported weight, and that's the site that actually sent a guy to watch Etta. There was a bump up the ratings late, but they all seemed afraid to move him into their top-100s after observing him in the Polynesian Bowl practices. I sense there's a degree of trusting the offers and intensity of Etta's pursuit going on here.

Variance: Medium-low. Etta is already large enough to play, has had some pro-level training, and has already a developed a varied stock portfolio, plus a bunch of pass rush moves. On the other hand, he did it against bad competition, and the ceiling here is, well...

Ceiling: Very High. Seems to be that of a 2nd rounder. If he had the bend too he'd be a Chase Young or Jadaveon Clowney. There's always the possibility of a Hutchinson/Bosa--guys who did it without elite-elite athleticism because they perfected everything else--but you're getting into low percentages by that point.

Flight Risk Level: Very low. Already turned down obviously NIL-laced offers from MSU, Miami, and Oklahoma. Lowest academic concern in the class. Position coach is stable, and as an alum Elston is likely to stick around even if Harbaugh were to leave for the NFL next year. There's also this quote regarding just such an eventuality:

I was never worried he was going to leave me. At the end of the day, my dad taught me to not go anywhere for the coach. I would have been really upset, but it wouldn’t really done anything for me. I went to Michigan for Michigan.

General Excitement Level: Very high. Baseline 5; –1 for Chris Wormley had tougher competition than that; +1 so what he obliterated them for 122 tackles, 34 TFLs, and 20 sacks as a senior, +1 for his junior stats were marginally *better* than that!, +1 for he's a better academic candidate than I was, +1 for and he's already big enough to play the position, +1 and he's still pretty new to football so arrow up, +1 for no concerns about speed or agility or anything, really, –1 for nobody's called him a freak (yet).

Projection: When Chris Wormley was a recruit Ace was dispatched to Toledo for a game against a team of overwhelmed Canadians. As a scouting mission the voyage was such a failure that Ace had to go back the following week. What it did accomplish was put Josh Helmholdt's weird hatred of Wormley in perspective; of course you couldn't see him using all of his weapons, because any one of them did the job. I think something similar is going on with Etta, where Brandon Justice and Chris Singletary are anchoring their takes in padless camp performances that emphasize what technique Etta's picked up from Tank Reed. EJ Holland and Magnus are looking at game film. That everyone is seeing a high motor (something Helmholdt criticized in Wormley) is the reason he's a 4.5* instead of a 3.5*.

Clearly Etta is the closest to the field—save the transfer—from this year's edge class, and they're going to need to get that depth chart shored up before Ishmail and Koumba are out of the oven. McGregor has eligibility through 2024 and Derrick Moore can't leave until then, so they don't need Etta to burn his redshirt or to start, like, next year. Past those two however you've got Kechaun Bennett, a third-year guy with a few good snaps in the spring game to his name, and Chibi Anwunah, a high ceiling that they picked up as a preferred walk-on last year.

This was the class to get the heir to the Moore/McGregor generation, and Etta fits the profile. Chances are he's in the rotation as a redshirt freshman in 2024, and that leads to starting or rotating with the starter by 2025. Past that either he's pretty good and sticks around through 2026, or he's very good and he leaves early for the NFL like all those top-100-ish guys we're usually writing about this time of year.