Former Michigan Target Eyabi Anoma enters Transfer Portal
Alabama LB Eyabi Anoma has entered the transfer portal. Michigan finished second in his recruitment and it is possible that he could be interested in coming to Ann Arbor if Harbaugh and co reach out to him again. Currently, reports say that he is not enrolled in classes at Alabama and is back home in Maryland. It is also possible that Anoma looks at Maryland as a transfer destination since his former recruiter at Alabama, Mike Locksley, is now Maryland's head coach.
He's 6'5 252lbs and plays OLB for Bama, but could slide down to WDE, where Michigan has a big need.
he had a pretty good year last year. Kind of curious on why he’s in the portal.
Depression.
He was named an "All SEC Freshman" at LB, voted on by the coaches of the SEC.
But I read his mom is sick, and he wants to transfer to be near her. He might get the family illness waiver.
He's a fantastic player. He was the #1 WDE, and #4 overall player in his class, behind Trevor Lawrence at #1, Justin Fields at #2, and Xavier Thomas at #3. He was turning out to be a great LB at Alabama.
If he wants to be close to home for his mom and his former recruiter is Maryland's head coach then this sounds like a done deal as far as where he's transferring.
The more I look into it, the more I am wondering what the real reason is. It may not be his mom being sick.
Nevermind. Already stated below.
Checks didn’t clear.
/s
Headed to Maryland most likely.
I was going to make a post out of this yesterday. I thought maybe he could transfer to Michigan. But I read his mother in Maryland is sick, and he wants to be near her, and he knows Mike Locksley. So it looks like he is going to transfer to Maryland.
UoM has great health facilities.
He was a good player at Alabama. I would like it if he came to Michigan. Maybe he could. But it looks like Maryland is where he wants to go.
But who knows for sure.
I hear Cinci’s are better though.
/s
When is the last time Michigan got a straight-up, run-of-the-mill transfer (not the Patterson or grad variety)?
Ty Isaac probably
John O'Korn.
Isaac arrived in 2014 (redshirt) under Hoke before playing under Harbaugh in 2015-2017.
O'Korn arrived in 2015 (redshirt) before playing in 2016-2017.
Top Billin is saying he has a source that is telling him it is mutual, between Alabama and Eyabi Anoma, that he leave. Something about team violations. Maybe the talk about his mom being the reason is a ruse. Or maybe... it's not.
Anoma missed a practice in December leading up the the CFP. This is what Nick Saban had to say about him missing the practice:
“I haven’t really had the opportunity to visit with him,” Saban said in a press conference. “He kind of had a personal day, I guess, to sort some things out. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get him back on track here soon.” (https://247sports.com/college/alabama/Article/Nick-Saban-Alabama-Football-LB-Eyabi-Anoma-misses-practice-to-sort-some-things-out-126493176/)
Anoma had entered the transfer portal In February. But withdrew his name from it the next day. Now he's back in it. Well, something's going on, his mom, team rules violations, abuse of team rules. Who knows. We don't know. But maybe Michigan is better off not touching the situation. Or maybe Michigan would be what he needs to get on tack.
Top Billin talks about it what he knows in this video:
I have to call BS on Little Nicky, as I don’t believe he ‘hasn’t had the opportunity’ to find out why an important part of his team didn’t show up for a practice. I rather think he would make the time...
The endless self promotion of the jabroni Top Billin videos makes Sheikie think Top Billin needs to humble itself the old county way with a beer bottle.
Honestly, do they play school at Alabama? Would he be able to transfer to Michigan?
I don't want to speculate about the reasons for transfer, but I can say that what I've heard has not yet been mentioned in this thread. Take that FWIW.
Probably wasn’t a big fan of the ‘old country way’ they deal with beer bottles.
Without speculating, do you think Michigan will reach out to him?
I never know what to trust about what I read about players. I don't think even insiders know half the time. I suppose I could pay for subscriptions to get better information. But it's not that important to me. I really, just want to watch the games. This is the dead time for college football. So it's the only reason I look into these things a little. But in the end, I kinda don't care about them. If I know, or don't know, I'm fine with it.
What I'm really looking forward to is, will Michigan's offense really be better, will they really blow Middle Tennessee off the field, like they should if there is the improvements talked about. Will Charbonnet be as good an RB as all the talk is saying. And I'm going to watch Clemson vs Texas A&M, because an upset is a possibility. Things like that.
But until then, we get these bones tossed to us about transfers.
He seems to have had some issues staying out of trouble: https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2019/07/alabama-lb-eyabi-anoma-enters-ncaa-transfer-portal.html
Suspended by the school earlier in summer—which implies either an academic or student conduct code violation.
Maryland
On the one hand the kid has entered the portal on the other this is what makes Saban and Swinney a step above the competition. They play their best players-none of this you have to labor behind an upperclassman for "two" years and prove yourself before you get a sniff. Anoma has talent-he gets to be on the field and get his feet wet in real time. Here is where loyalty is a bad thing-make it a true meritocracy...in general, this is a fault of Harbaugh-was of Beilein too. It is unfair to the individual players as well as the team to not have your best players on the field.
Edit: Yikes! I deserved that beating.
They play their best players-none of this you have to labor behind an upperclassman for "two" years and prove yourself before you get a sniff.
Huh? You mean like Peppers, Gary, Bredeson, Asiasi, Solomon, Evans, DPJ, Collins, Black if he hadn't been injured, Bush, Hutchinson, Ronnie Bell, Long, Hill, McDoom, etc, etc etc??
When guys come in ready to contribute, they get plenty of run during their Freshman year (let alone first 2 years) under Harbaugh. Not sure what you're watching but you are flat wrong. What sets Saban and Swinney apart is they are landing top 3 classes with freak athletes every single year. It would be brutal for us to lose a top 5 overall recruit after 1 season, but Alabama will just send in the 5-star behind him and barely notice a dropoff.
I think there's (debatably!) a history of stubbornness with Don Brown overplaying veteran linebackers and DBs beyond what is necessary. Devin Gil and Brandon Watson have fit this in certain games where they were being abused as insufficient athletes and we kept more athletic alternatives like Ross and Amby off the field - sometimes completely and other time moreso than was wise.
Again, please don't overlook the parenthetical. I'm not constructing this as my own conclusion, just as a point I believe is arguable.
Gil and Ross are one class apart, not a striking example. Watson had a great senior year according to PFF and UFRs. He was only exposed vs OSU. Ambry has more athletic ability, but I didn't see him play all that well on defense. I'm hoping he puts things together this season.
There's always going to be some difference of opinion about who should play among fans of any team. Harbaugh and Brown have a history of playing a lot of freshmen, so I'd say they've earned the benefit of the doubt in that regard in any individual case.
I don’t think you’re right. Plenty of freshmen have gotten meaningful playing time under Harbaugh except for maybe QB and OL. Same with Beilein, it just seemed like his system was hard for freshmen to pick up in time, leVert got run he was too skinny, dj Wilson did to just looked lost, stauskas and Irvin got plenty of time
Last year freshman Isiah Livers took Duncan Robinson's starting spot. Then this year, freshman Iggy took Livers' starting spot. That complaint in general, but especially in relation to the basketball team, is completely unfounded.
That sounds like guys who take the natural leap their second year.
Ah yes, who can forget freshmen like Trey Burke, Nik Staukas, Glenn Robinson III, Mitch McGary, Derrick Walton, Isaiah Livers, and Ignas Brazdeikis not even seeing the floor for two years before finally getting a chance to play. What patience!
This is a terrible post for so many reasons, but focusing on the player at hand - Anoma was a top 5 overall recruit on the composite. He was going to play as a freshman no matter what school he went to.
I think you're just imagining things and will never be able to cite evidence to back up your position. In only four seasons, Harbaugh has used true freshmen at nearly every position, save QB. Mentioning Beilein makes me wonder if we've even been watching the same teams. He even started Eli Brooks as a freshman PG when Simpson and Simmons were struggling.
Saban doesn't play freshmen over better players. His talented freshmen sit if they're not ready. No coach that recruits at a high level sits freshmen who are ready to contribute. That just doesn't work when so many top prospects put a high value on being able to play early.
This isn't Jim's MO. It was Brady's.
Michigan and finishing second to Bama for a recruit, name a more iconic duo
We had our share of recruiting battles we lost out in the 1980s and early 90s to ND.
the insider boards indicate that michigan won't even reach out to him. so either (1) he's done something bad meaning that he either can't get into UM or we wouldn't take him even if he could; or (2) it's a done deal that he's going somewhere else (probably maryland), so it isn't worth our effort.
Feels like both to me.
He’s going to md
Played with Ojabo right?...get these guys on the phone with each other.
No, Anoma played for St Francis MD (with Biff Poggi). Ojabo went to Blair Academy (NJ).
Jayson Oweh at Penn State
Got it I knew there was another high ranked DE.
A big IF he's open to going somewhere else besides Maryland, don't forget, he is from St. Frances. Probably knows a lot of the guys heading to Michigan next year. If Poggi vouches for him, I'm sure the UM coaching staff would listen (and vice versa). Might just come down to it being an easier time to get a waiver at Maryland than it would at Michigan. Probably not best for him to go somewhere and sit out a year, as from the outside it appears that playing football helps him keep focused.
If he goes to Michigan, I'll eat a whole LEMON(head). IOW, he aint transferring to Michigan.
His sister Amiya Anoma decided to go to Wichita State, I'm guessing because Bama did not offer her. During his recruitment it sounded like Eyabi was really close to his sister who runs track and field, and was hoping they could end up at the same school.
Even if there is some sort of off field "issue", don't blame the 19 year old who was thrown into the situation.
If anyone is looking at talking to this guy to see if he's interested in Michigan, I'd use the sister angle and see if she'd like to play at Michigan as well.