David Ojabo’s breakout season hasn’t gone unnoticed from those in NFL circles.
ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his latest rankings of the top 25 2022 NFL Draft prospects on Wednesday, and the Michigan redshirt sophomore outside linebacker made a surprise appearance in the top 10.
Michigan senior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson moved up one spot from Kiper’s last rankings in October, checking in at No. 5. Ojabo went from unranked to No. 10.
“Ojabo has been one of the most impressive newcomers in the country this season,” Kiper wrote. “He has flashed advanced pass-rush moves — check out this spin on the right tackle for a strip sack against Indiana — and his athletic traits pop on tape. While Ojabo needs to work on his all-around game, there’s a lot to like. He’s still young; he could develop into an elite edge rusher.”
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Ojabo, who was born in Nigeria and grew up in Scotland, played just 26 snaps in a reserve role in 2020 but has ascended into one of the top pass-rushers in the nation this season. He leads the Big Ten with eight sacks and four forced fumbles, giving the Wolverines another formidable pass-rushing presence opposite of Hutchinson.
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Ojabo, who only began playing football five years ago, also has 23 tackles and three pass breakups this season.
“We learned about him when we first got here,” Michigan first-year defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald said of Ojabo on Wednesday. “What you saw on tape was a guy with great ability. You could tell there was some untapped potential there. It kinda made sense a little bit once you realized his history. But his learning curve — I was telling somebody, I think he learns more football in a day than I did in like two years. He’s just a sponge, soaks it all up. He’s doing a great job. Fun to coach.”
Ojabo and Hutchinson are the only pair of teammates inside Kiper’s top 10.
“In the preseason, I led off my write-up on the Michigan edge rusher with ‘I think Hutchinson could have a big year,’” Kiper wrote. “Well, that’s what he’s doing. He has seven sacks and a forced fumble, showing powerful moves and relentless pursuit of quarterbacks. His 18.6% pressure percentage ranks third in the country. He looks outstanding. Hutchinson played only 144 defensive snaps last season before he injured his leg against Indiana and had to have surgery. The Michigan defense cratered after he was hurt. He was outstanding as a sophomore in 2019, putting up 4.5 sacks and creating havoc in the backfield (10.5 total tackles for loss).”
Kiper also ranked the top 10 prospects at each position, with Michigan junior Daxton Hill getting tabbed as the No. 2 safety.
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