Getty Former Alabama recruit Eyabi Anoma has landed at Michigan.
Former Alabama top-five recruit Eyabi Anoma has one last chance to shine at a top college football program. The edge rusher recently enrolled at the University of Michigan as a graduate student and a team source told MLive he will be playing for the Wolverines, the news site reported on August 18. Anoma left the Crimson Tide after he was dismissed by coach Nick Saban following his freshman season.
After leaving Alabama in 2018, Anoma made a one-year stop with the Houston Cougars, but was again dismissed for an unspecified violation of team rules, CBS Sports reported. Anoma then landed at FCS University of Tennessee-Martin and starred for the Skyhawks in 2021, recording 36 tackles and six sacks, according to the team’s website.
The Baltimore native and St. Frances Academy alum graduated from UT-Martin with a degree in interdisciplinary studies and he will be pursuing a master’s degree in social work at Michigan, according to the university’s student database. The Wolverine first reported that Anoma had enrolled at the scool.
Eyabi Okie Anoma Said on Twitter He’s ‘Blessed to Be in This Position’ & Said He’s Dedicating the Rest of His Football Career to His Grandmother
Blessed to be in this position greatful for all the positive and negative remarks dedicating the rest of my football career to my grandma she would have been happy I graduated and turned things around
Anoma tweeted after the news about his transfer was reported, “Blessed to be in this position greatful for all the positive and negative remarks dedicating the rest of my football career to my grandma she would have been happy I graduated and turned things around.”
Anoma joined the Crimson Tide as one of the top recruits in the country in 2018. According to his bio on Alabama’s website, Anoma was ranked as the No. 4 player in ESPN’s top 300 that season and was ranked as ESPN’s second-best defensive end. Anoma, who was also recruited by Michigan, along with Georgia, Florida and Maryland, played in 12 games for the Crimson Tide during his one season at the school, earning All-SEC Freshman honors.
Anoma had 9 tackles, including two for a loss, during the 2018 season. But just before the start of the team’s fall camp in 2019, Saban confirmed Anoma was no longer with the team, “He was dismissed by the university. That’s really all I can say about it,” the head coach said at a press conference, according to Saturday Down South. Further details about why he left the Crimson Tide were never revealed.
It’s Not Clear How Much Eligibility Anoma Has Left
Anoma was listed as a redshirt sophomore on the UT-Martin roster for his 2021 season. He sat out the 2020 season because of NCAA transfer rules. But it was not immediately clear how much eligibility he will have left with the Michigan Wolverines, according to MLive. He entered the NCAA transfer portal as a grad student but enrolled at Michigan after the May 1 deadline to play in the 2022 season.
Anoma, who is 6’6″ tall and weighs 270 pounds, was named to the Ohio Valley Conference’s all-newcomer team after his 2021 season at UT-Martin, according to the wchool’s website. In addition to his 6 sacks, Anoma also recorded 9 1/12 tackles for loss, according to the Skyhawks website. He helped lead the team to an OVC championship.
His coach at UT-Martin, Jason Simpson, told On3 about watching Anoma, “He came on a little stunt where he came inside. The guard went back to get him and he caught the guard on one foot and took him with one hand and next thing I know, the guard goes flying across the screen. I’m talking about physically picking up a 300-pound guard with one arm and the guy leaves his feet. It’s been fun to watch. He looks really good. He’s as advertised.”
Heading into the 2021 season, Anoma told UT-Martin Sports, “I learned to put everything through God. It doesn’t matter how much you think that you’re ready or you think that it’s your time or you think that you should be playing right now, God thinks it’s not your time to be able to play and that really humbled me. It brought me back down to reality. Not take a day for granted, not take a practice for granted, not take anything for granted.
Anoma added, “We love this game and we give it our all everyday. That’s why what I really learned. … Everything happens for a reason, you can’t complain.”
Simpson told On3, “When he first got here at 238, he was long and fast. Now that he’s 260-plus, he’s powerful, too. In our league, as long as he’s healthy, he’s going to be hard to handle. He’s certainly talented, and most of the NFL teams have been here to see him. They watch him practice and they go, ‘Oh, my goodness’ and ‘We’ll be back.’ Anytime a guy’s transferred twice, you’ve got questions. And Eyabi knows that. But hopefully he’ll do well and hopefully can use this as an opportunity to get to the NFL.”