Justin

Eboigbe

The fifth-rated DE from the 2019 prep class, Eboigbe (6'4/297) was a mainstay contributor for Nick Saban’s defenses in Tuscaloosa for the past five years. 2023 was the year that he finally broke out, earning the starting nod and logging more than half of his 122 career tackles on the Tide’s CFP run while receiving First Team All-SEC honors. Eboigbe is a below-average athlete (5.77 RAS) with solid fundamentals, an NFL-ready frame and the versatility to fit on any roster. He lined up anywhere from the zero tech to Edge while rarely missing a defensive snap. None of Eboigbe’s moves seem explosive but his motor runs just hot enough to make plays at or behind the line of scrimmage. He often struggles to keep his pad level low when engaged with blockers, resulting in getting stuck on blocks at times. On other occasions he is more than capable of keeping linemen at bay with his 80+” wingspan. While versatility may be his calling card, his best role as a pro may be as a five tech run-specialist.

Eboigbe (6'5/294) announced via social media on Friday that the procedure was a successful one, but it is unknown what the specific issue that required an operation was. The freshman defensive lineman had to deal with a foot injury during fall camp, missing Alabama’s first two games as a result. Eboigbe would ultimately appear in ten games this season, accounting for 10 total tackles (3.0 for loss), 1.5 sacks and one quarterback hurry.

Part of Alabama’s brilliance is their depth up front and the Tide just got deeper with the return of Eboigbe. Eboigbe, a 6-foot-5, 294-pound DL, was a high four-star recruit and top-100 recruit, per 247 Sports, in Alabama’s 2019 class. Prior to injury, Eboigbe was expected to be in the rotation up front. Look for Eboigbe to get some snaps this week against South Carolina, assuming he is cleared to play.

Eboigbe (6'5/294) did not play in Alabama’s season opening win over Duke, and he won’t be on the field for Saturday’s home opener vs. New Mexico State either. Alabama doesn’t lack for depth up front, a far different situation from what the team faces at the linebacker position, so accounting for the freshman’s absence hasn’t put too much of a strain on the defensive line.

Eboigbe is another big get for the Alabama class, as he ranks 10th among strong-side defensive ends in the class and 12th among all players in the loaded state of Georgia. He was also considering Georgia; along with Auburn, Florida, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and several other high-profile schools. At 6-foot-5, 263-pounds, Eboigble is a defender who could help on the inside or outside, and he should be able to play the run and help as a pass-rusher. Alabama had the top class before the Eboigbe commitment, and this certainly doesn’t hurt their ranking.

"[Like Ledbetter] Eboigbe brings a nice blend of size, power and initial quickness to develop into a productive 34 DE,” Haubert writes of the 6-foot-5, 263-pound Alabama pledge. The analyst writes that Eboigbe “has the tools to be a tough and, at times, disruptive presence in the trenches” and notes that he possesses a slick mix of “quickness and power.” On the ESPN 300, the Forest Park, Georgia, native stomps into proceedings at No. 122 overall in the 2019 class. After a bit of a relatively soft showing in the 2018 cycle, Alabama has struck back with a vengeance on the recruiting trail and is currently tracking toward a No. 1 class as summer takes bloom.

Eboigba (6'5/263) had been committed to the Crimson Tide since June, but they had to sweat it out in the moment on Wednesday, with the Forest Park, Georgia, native going through a commitment ceremony in which he also had hats on the table from Penn State, Miami and Tennessee. Alabama wins out in the end, as it tends to do. ESPN’s Craig Haubert compared Eboigbe to Georgia DE Jonathan Ledbetter over the summer.

Eboigbe (6'5/263) was a four-star signing by the Crimson Tide in December, and is considered one of the best pure pass rushers in the class. The questions with the defender come as to whether or not he’ll be able to contribute in other areas -- at least early -- and there were similar concerns with Polite. “Both are so dangerous on obvious passing downs and pressure situations because they are so difficult to handle one-on-one in pass protection, but both Polite and Eboigbe still have room to develop in other areas of their game,” Luginbill writes. Polite has a chance to be a first-round pick this April, and if Eboigbe gets to the quarterback like many think he will, he has the same chance.