5-Star DE Eyabi Anoma: so you're saying there's a chance...
For the internet trolls who are purely concerned with crystal balls, read no further; 100% of crystal balls have Eyabi Anoma going to Alabama. However as ACE put it yesterday:
The coaches have mostly narrowed their focus to a short list of high-level prospects, including DEs Eyabi Anoma...
Michigan appears to be making a big push for him and they aren't shy about letting reporters know when asked. Echoing Ace, the freep reported yesterday that Michigan continues to make a heavy push for him. So I'm saying Michigan thinks they have a chance.
I've outlined below paraphrasing rationale for why 100% of crystal balls are saying Alabama, as well as hopefully more information on Eyabi and his situation. In any case we will all know tomorrow as he has moved up his announcement date to tomorrow at 2pm instead of Friday.
Essentially from what I can gather the crystal ball calls have been made for the below reasons:
1) Eyabi has visited Alabama four times, the most of any school, and is their top DE recruit of the year. He lists only Alabama, Michigan and Maryland as his top choices.
2) Sam Poggi, one of his current coaches has ties to Alabama (suspend your knowledge of the Michigan connections for a moment).
3) It makes a pretty trend; Eyabi would be the second five star DE recruit out of the North East to go to Alabama recently, after Terrell Hall (he changed his name to Terrell Lewis ) (suspend your knowledge, this time of Rashan Gary).
4) Most importantly, Eyabi is looking for two things that Alabama can provide- Training to get him to the NFL and a winning schedule. In the words of his own head coach:
Alabama does a great job of getting guys to the NFL and putting their players in position to succeed. Coach Saban runs a great program. You have the academic support in place. All of the little things are taken care of in that program. Eyabi is also super competitive and hates losing. Alabama is that type of team. They don’t lose much. He thrives in those types of environments. I think that’s why he’s very attracted to what they offer.
However this is far from a normal recruit, and the predictions on this guy deserve a second pass.
I've compiled what I hope is a better understanding of Eyabi and his decision process.
Eyabi has played football for eighteen months at this level, and had been focusing his high school career on playing basketball prior to transferring to St. Francis as a Junior. However having seen him up close and in action I'd say that his frame is too big to play the kind of basketball he does, though he could easily put on more weight as a DE. His assistant coach is none other than Sam Poggi who hopefully needs no introduction. In Poggi's own words:
He's the best player I've ever coached
Michigan first became aware of him at a satillite camp Harbaugh attended in the summer of 2016 as he was preparing to start playing for St. Francis. In his Michigan interactions he attended the summer BBQ, the MSU game, watched the Maryland game, and took his official for the OSU game. He has indicated that he's looking for two things out of a program. First, he's looking for a school that can really challenge him to be a better defensive player.
So when I go up (to Michigan) I want to see how they coach. Are they aggressive? Are they conservative? Are they (relaxed) or are they on me? I want my coach to be consistently on me. If I’m going to do something wrong, yell at me. I take criticism pretty well when it comes to football, so I want that. I don’t want nothing given to me. I don’t want no promises. As long as that happens, I think that will be a good visit.
The second thing he is concerned about is getting to stay close to his sister Amiya who is also a senior (though they are not twins). He's the only boy in the middle of six sisters, so that should tell you all you need to know about his ability to thrive under constructive criticism. Amiya is looking at schools also, and they really want to compete together athletically at the next level. As a junior she was a state champ for track and field and also set the all time state record for the triple jump. In an interview with 247 Eyobi talked about the competitive nature between himself and his almost twin, and it doesn't seem like getting in together somewhere will be an issue.
(We) have many of the same scholarship offers and talk about attending the same school.
As far as what Amiya wants, academic wise the choice between Alabama and Michigan is fairly clear. While the SEC (to a lesser extent Alabama) has been a traditional powerhouse of women's Track and Field, Michigan just completed a state of the art track and field facility and roped in a very competitive 2017 recruiting class as a result. Amiya would be hard pressed not to consider Michigan if that's what her brother is doing.
With his two stated considerations above, I'd agree that at one point he may have made an informal decision with his sister to attend Alabama. However there's an important timeline that bears review, a narrative of facts if you will.
The day before Eyabi made his official visit to Tuscaloosa, Alabama's Defensive Coordinator Jeremy Pruitt announced he was leaving the Tide to be Tennessee's new head coach and was taking with him one of his assistants, Brian Niedermeyer. Pruitt then began a recruiting blitz for the Vols and wasn't around helping to prepare Alabama for the Clemson game (let alone helping with recruiting for Alabama) until the beginning of this week. Consider this development with Eyabi's need for good coaching as a new player, his desire to mesh with coaches, and not even knowing who the new Alabama defensive coordinator will be.
Soon after this Eyabi posted two similar tweets in what I can only consider a shot across the bow to anyone listening.
I am not committed to any school still weighing my options
December 19th, 2017 at 4:14 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 4:51 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 7:41 PM ^
but I guess it's nice to hope.
*Edit: If he's announcing tomorrow and hasn't visited Michigan while he's visited Bama four times, it's obvious where he's going and it ain't Michigan.
December 20th, 2017 at 12:02 AM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 4:30 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 4:30 PM ^
We probably have about as good a chance of landing him as the Browns have of making the playoffs this year. But I think I said something similar last year about Aubrey Solomon and look how that turned out.
I'd love to be wrong.
December 19th, 2017 at 4:32 PM ^
Not sure if this is out there, but two Michigan Coaches visited with him Friday night. They feel there is a chance, so let this play out and see what happens.
December 19th, 2017 at 4:32 PM ^
Don't worry everyone! He may end up at Alabama but even he does they will likely have a scandal, receive sanctions, and then he will transfer to Michigan, making us an instant title contender!
Oh...wrong player? My bad
December 19th, 2017 at 4:33 PM ^
Kid is not coming to UM
Bama
Sadly
Go Blue!
December 19th, 2017 at 4:33 PM ^
Kid is not coming to UM
Bama
Sadly
Go Blue!
December 19th, 2017 at 4:33 PM ^
I really thought we had a shot at Najee. I think any hope we have at any Alabama leans will disappear when they see Bama in another CFP in a couple weeks.
December 19th, 2017 at 4:39 PM ^
Great point. That Najee Harris situation was a mess and a major dissapointment. It also cost us A.J. Dillon who turned out arguably better, at least this year
December 19th, 2017 at 5:59 PM ^
Harris will be a beast next year
December 19th, 2017 at 4:35 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 4:37 PM ^
Wish in one hand and shit in the other, see which one gets filled 1st! This kid already has his uniform, locker and dorm room at Alabama. Hard to beat the bag man!
Why do we do this to ourselves every year? Isn't this the definition of insanity?
December 19th, 2017 at 8:58 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 4:37 PM ^
Wish in one hand and shit in the other, see which one gets filled 1st! This kid already has his uniform, locker and dorm room at Alabama. Hard to beat the bag man!
Why do we do this to ourselves every year? Isn't this the definition of insanity?
December 19th, 2017 at 4:39 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 4:42 PM ^
as soon as Harbaugh consistently beats teams with winning records and not just the duds of the Big Ten.
December 19th, 2017 at 4:43 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 4:49 PM ^
This post, I like. Well done.
December 19th, 2017 at 4:58 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 5:00 PM ^
I'd absolutely love for Anoma to come to Michigan. The defense for Michigan is doing it. The question is whether or not the lack of top success would keep him from coming to Michigan.
It does help maybe a bit that Poggi also has a connection to Michigan (as well as Bama.) While it is unlikely, were Michigan to bring in Anoma and Petite-Frere, it would greatly tamp down the complaints about the 2018 recruiting class. At that point, it would also truly solidify Michigan even more as a place for great defensive linemen. Add him and also Tyler Friday? That would be an absolutely stellar DL class right there. With Hutchinson and Upshaw, what more could anyone possibly want?
December 19th, 2017 at 5:24 PM ^
To me, this just reeks of the kid trying to build suspense for his decision, which is his right to do so. When the media leaks out which way the kid is leaning, naturally the kid declines because its his decision, and he wants to be the one to spill the beans. Everyone and their mother has him pegged to Bama. The visit to Maryland and the tweet he hasnt decided are just window dressing. Good luck at Bama Eyabi.
December 19th, 2017 at 5:25 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 5:29 PM ^
Signing or verbaling
December 19th, 2017 at 5:33 PM ^
Though if he graduated from HS early he could enroll next semester at Alabama.
December 19th, 2017 at 5:29 PM ^
When Harbaugh starts winning the B1G and making the playoffs then all the 5 stars will be coming here. The draw to Bama is there's always a good chance of making the playoffs and winning NC.
December 19th, 2017 at 5:57 PM ^
I enjoyed this well-crafted forum post. It was an easy read with relevant block quotes and a logical flow. Does any of that mean Eyabi Anoma is coming to Ann Arbor?
Yes.
And Michigan will be in the 2018 CFP.
Damn the torpedoes.
December 19th, 2017 at 5:32 PM ^
Herbstreit just cost the Buckeyes a chance with Micah.
December 19th, 2017 at 7:14 PM ^
Parsons going to Penn State.
December 19th, 2017 at 7:14 PM ^
Parsons going to Penn State.
December 19th, 2017 at 9:03 PM ^
If Tindall commits to UGA then that could be a good sign that Otis will stay blue. Tindall plays the same position as Reese and ranked about the same.
December 19th, 2017 at 5:35 PM ^
We have a CB for CB Vincent Gray, is he related to Johnas Gray that played for ND? Anyone?
December 19th, 2017 at 6:02 PM ^
Johnas Gray, the "Michigan" hero of UTL I that played in an ND uni but won the game for us?
Somebody posted quotes from one of the ND live blog threads during UTL I.
One of the exchanges was between two ND fans. One of the ND fans reported that he had to watch the whole game with a girl that was from Michigan. The other one said: "Great. Did you also spend the whole game just staring at her chest while she caught three TD passes like Johnas Gray?"
December 19th, 2017 at 6:25 PM ^
Hahaha
December 19th, 2017 at 5:42 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 6:14 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 5:48 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 5:54 PM ^
Very nice write up.
Too little too late for us though.
I do like that we get this off our plate by tomorrow.
Like playing the lottery . . . you get to fantasize for a day or two, then you find out the results and move on with your life.
It's a pleasant, harmless little break from reality. No big thing.
December 19th, 2017 at 5:55 PM ^
How about we use this approach when recruiting against Bama or Ole Miss or hell every other SEC team " son do you realize your grandpa wouldn't have been able to play there" "son do you realize their mascot is plantation owner" this past season ESPN Game Day did a little warm fuzzy thing on the first minority to play in the SEC and it was like 1968 and I believe Bama was early 70s like that's something to be proud of
Fuck Saban Fuck the SEC and Fuck Urban Meyer because he's an SEC coach at heart
December 19th, 2017 at 6:18 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 6:23 PM ^
And then again for good measure, isn't Nick the Dick from Ohio too I know he played and Kent State. I'm seeing a trend, Ohio is the bag of dicks
December 19th, 2017 at 6:46 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 7:21 PM ^
Bo either. Or Woodson. Or my personal favorite, Rob Lytle. Or the myriad of other Wolverine legends.
December 19th, 2017 at 7:56 PM ^
Wasteland of the legends
December 19th, 2017 at 8:43 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 8:45 PM ^
December 19th, 2017 at 6:01 PM ^