Obinna

Eze

Eze has been Memphis’ starting left tackle for the past two seasons. At 6-foot-8 and 315-pounds, the redshirt junior has outrageous size for the position and proven himself every bit as dominant as his frame suggests, at least at the Group of Five level. Eze was a four-star recruit for Memphis a few years ago, one of the best they have had in recent years. He now joins a TCU offensive line that produced 214 YPG rushing and a 5.2 yards per carry average in 2020.

Eze has been Memphis’ starting left tackle for the past two seasons. At 6-foot-8 and 315-pounds, Eze has outrageous size for the position and proven himself every bit as dominant as his frame suggests, at least at the Group of Five level. Eze was a four-star recruit for Memphis a few years ago, one of the best they have had in recent years. It’s unclear whether Eze will use this transfer opportunity, given his ideal size and starting experience, to leap up to a more enticing Power Five program looking for OL help.

“I couldn’t be more proud of a young man for the way he’s worked and developed,” Norvell told Vannini when discussing Eze. “He’s probably the most improved of anybody on the team.” The 6-foot-8, 315-pound redshirt sophomore was a four-star recruit at the time of his commitment to Memphis, and after redshirting in 2017 he appeared in six games last season. He’ll figure more prominently in the Tigers’ plans this fall, as Memphis lost three starters from last year’s offensive line. If Eze plays as well as he’s capable of, that will also benefit players QB Brady White and RB Patrick Taylor Jr.

“I’m going to spend my summer visiting places and getting to know people,” Eze said. He added that once his 2016 season at Davidson Academy is in the books, he will “speed [the recruiting process] up three times faster than it is.” The 6-foot-8, 283-pounder has received offers from Alabama, Auburn and Florida (among others), with 247Sports’ Crystal Ball forecasting an eventual landing with the Crimson Tide. “I just feel honored to have such a program [as Alabama] recognize me [with an offer],” Eze said, “and feel that I’m valuable enough to come to their program. It’s just an honor.”

Eze moved to the States from Nigeria and due to transfer rules at Davidson Academy, had to play on the junior varsity (rather than varsity) team in 2015. Gorney sees this as a double-edged sword, as the 6-foot-8, 283-pounder could have that “untapped talent” the analyst is speaking to, but he could also have “serious issues about his development heading to his senior season.” A strong showing at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge could help alleviate some of those concerns about development, as he will be facing some of the best talent in the country at that event.

“Recruiting is hard and people lie and say what they want but I was able to believe in [Memphis’ staff] and trust them,” Eze said. Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Notre Dame were just a few of the programs chasing after the hulking 6-foot-8, 283-pounder’s commitment. He is aware that Memphis might seem a jarring choice in the face of such vaunted contenders, but said, “I don’t give a crap about names and conferences and big places. I give a crap about relationships and where I feel comfortable and who I can trust.” Eze is raw to the sport of football after spending much of his early life in Nigeria and noted that the Tigers are understanding of his developmental needs and would allow him time to grow into the game with a redshirt if necessary. He stands as Rivals’ No. 225 prospect for the 2017 cycle.

“I’ve seen pretty much everything in the SEC but I want to go elsewhere and see what they have to offer,” Eze said. “Once I get that out of my way, I think I’ll be ready.” The 6-foot-8, 283-pounder ranks as Rivals’ No. 225 overall prospect, but that comes with tremendous room for growth. He hails from Nigeria and remains relatively new to the sport. Don’t expect him to put out a list of finalists, though. He said earlier this offseason that he plans on speeding through the rest of the recruiting process once he has made his visits. He reaffirmed that to Rivals this week, saying, “I’m not naming no list. I’m going straight to make a commitment.”