Prince Tega

Wanogho

Wylie went down with the elbow injury in the first half and was ruled out after halftime. Prince Tega Wanogho is in at right tackle for him. Wanogho has yet to make his first career start, but that could change in Week 11 if Wylie is sidelined beyond this game.

A three-year starter at Auburn, Tega Wanogho only took up football upon moving from Nigeria to Alabama as a 14-year-old. Tega Wanogho bulked up from 260 to 310 pounds during his time in the SEC without losing any speed or agility. Tega Wanogho suffered multiple leg injuries throughout his career, including a tibia and fibula fracture in 2015, but has the athleticism, toughness, and character that front offices crave. Unfortunately, there are enough question marks in his game to bet against him becoming an early-career contributor.

A three-year starter in Gus Malzahn’s spread offense, Tega Wanogho (6’5"/308) only discovered football upon moving from Nigeria to Alabama at age-14, playing one season at Edgewood Academy before becoming the Tigers’ No. 4 overall recruit for his ‘toolsy’ traits. He also impressively bulked up from 260 to 310-lbs during his time at the collegiate level without losing any speed or agility. Tega Wanogho suffered multiple knee injuries throughout his career including a tibia and fibula fracture in 2015, but undeniably has the athleticism, toughness, and character that front offices crave. Unfortunately, there are enough question marks in his game to bet against him becoming a reliable starter with the Eagles as a rookie.

A three-year starter in Gus Malzahn’s spread offense, Tega Wanogho (6’5/308) only discovered football upon moving from Nigeria to Alabama at age-14, playing one season at Edgewood Academy before becoming the Tigers’ No. 4 overall recruit for his ‘toolsy’ traits. He also impressively bulked up from 260 to 310-lbs during his time at the collegiate level without losing any speed, agility, or capability. Tega Wanogho suffered multiple knee injuries throughout his career including a tibia and fibia fracture in 2015, but undeniably has the athleticism, toughness, and character that front offices crave. Unfortunately, there are enough question marks in his game to bet against him becoming a reliable starter as a rookie.

Barnes was a solid NFL performer for over a decade -- although he never quite lived up to his second-round billing -- so this is not damning with faint praise. The 6-foot-5, 308-pound tackle “Possesses desired athletic traits as a left tackle” according to Zierlein, and the analyst also notes he has loose hips, quick feet and an adequate bunch. There are negatives listed, of course, with Zierlein noting his shorter arms and that he isn’t always quick off the ball. He also writes that Wanogho is a relative newcomer to the sport, so while he may be a developmental prospect, the talent suggests he can be a starting tackle at the NFL level.

Roughly a month ago, Wanogho (6'7/305) had his knee scoped to check out a lingering injury. Swelling of that knee injury forced Wanogho to bow out of the Senior Bowl in January, an event he surely would have dominated. It seems those knee issues are still around as Wanogho will again not be participating in a major pre-draft event. The goods news, however, is that Wanogho is expected to be healthy enough to compete soon and should be able to run drills for teams in private workouts.

Plenty of future top-100 NFL Draft picks opt to skip out on their bowl games each year. It’s tough to blame anyone for doing it considering even a minor injury could hurt their draft stick. Wanogho (6'7/305) is in a different state of mind, however, and said he didn’t even consider skipping out. Wanogho will play alongside his Tiger teammates one last time against Minnesota in the Outback Bowl on Wednesday.

Wanogho (6'7/305) is considered one of the more athletic tackle prospects in the class, and he certainly has the frame to be an NFL tackle at the next level. The questions come in his polish, and consistency has not necessarily been Wonogho’s friend so far. Dane Brugler of The Athletic believes he can be a top 50 pick this year, and a quality showing in Mobile would go a long way in establishing -- or cementing -- that type of stock.

Tega Wanogho has been a bit of volatile prospect in his time with Auburn, but he’s off to a very good start this year, and the 6-foot-5, 307-pound defender has a very interesting test this Saturday against Florida. It’s worth noting that he started his career on defense -- as Brugler notes -- but he’s now become a veteran on the Tigers’ undefeated offensive line. “Consistency remains an issue, but the foundation traits are there with his wide base and quick punch and recoil,"Brugler summarizes. “Some NFL scouts view Tega Wanogho as a possible top-50 pick in April.”

Wanogho (6'7/301) is an incredible athlete -- he can run a 4.95 forty and hit 32 inches in the vertical -- and he’s considered one of the highest upside offensive tackle prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft. There are more polished prospects, yet Wanogho is receiving plenty of buzz going into his redshirt junior season. Consider Wanogho a Day 2 prospect with Day 1 potential.