Submitted by: AdamHawk23
Have you heard the one about the 6’5” 250 pound Nigerian-turned-Scottish-turned-Michigander who runs a 4.55 40 and can jump 35 inches off the ground?
No?
Well, allow me to introduce you to Michigan Wolverines edge rusher, David Ojabo. On May 17, 2000, Ojabo was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and lived there until the age of seven, when his family moved to Aberdeenshire, Scotland when his father’s work led to a relocation. An incredibly gifted athlete, Ojabo went to the United States to play basketball for a New Jersey high school. However, with his large frame, football seemed to be his destiny.
“I ran a 10.8 second 100m and that made people turn their heads. They saw I was big and fast and that is a recipe for American football in their eyes, so I gave it a shot.” -David Ojabo
Ojabo played only one year of high school football, but was impressive enough to attract the attention of Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines. He struggled to see the field for his first two seasons, accumulating a grand total of one tackle in 2019 and 2020 combined. However, in his junior year everything came together for the 21-year-old Scottish phenom. Ojabo racked up 35 tackles and 11 sacks in the 2021-22 campaign, and with the dynamic duo of Ojaboo and his line-mate and fellow highly touted NFL prospect, Aidan Hutchinson, the Wolverines lost only once in the season before a playoff loss to the eventual national champions. Ojabo also forced 5 fumbles en route to being named first-team all Big 10, and second-team All-American.
What makes David Ojabo so intriguing (and more of a risk at the same time) is the fact that he has only played football for 4 years. One year in high school, two years on the bench in Michigan, and one star-studded year for the Wolverines. Being so inexperienced, Ojabo may not be a contributor in the NFL right away. However, the physical attributes are there, and the production is eye-opening. Ojabo is a very interesting, if raw, NFL draft prospect.
The current feeling in the mock drafts of the media’s experts is that Ojabo will go anywhere from as high as 15th in the draft, to as low as the 23rd selection. While the experts may not think Ojabo will be anywhere near the Packers #28 selection, crazier things have happened on draft day. Come April 28th, David Ojabo will be a very interesting name to watch in the first round of the NFL Draft.
