Report: Severity of David Ojabo Michigan Pro Day injury revealed
When David Ojabo went down with an injury at Michigan‘s Pro Day, NFL and Wolverines fans alike held their collective breaths. As the world hoped for the best, Adam Schefter of ESPN delivered some tough news on Saturday regarding Ojabo’s injury.
“Tests confirmed that LB David Ojabo tore his Achilles, per a Michigan source,” tweeted Schefter. “Doctors expect a full and complete recovery. Rams’ RB Cam Akers tore his Achilles last summer and was back in about six months, and doctors expect Ojabo to be on the same timeline.”
While Ojabo was flying up draft boards due to his immense potential, the risk of drafting a prospect with a torn Achilles could scare teams off in April. There’s never a good time for an injury in football, but the timing of Ojabo’s devastating injury is heart-breaking.
Instead of preparing for one of the biggest days of his life, David Ojabo now has a lengthy rehab in-front of him. Time will tell what NFL team isn’t scared off by the news, and who takes a shot on the immense talent out of Michigan.
David Ojabo: “Ima be back stronger than ever!’
After David Ojabo suffered the aforementioned injury in advance of the NFL Draft during Michigan‘s Pro Day on Friday, the former Wolverines star pass rusher took to Twitter to send a comforting message to the NFL, as well as Michigan supporters.
“God got me!” tweeted Ojabo. “Ima be back stronger than ever. All part of my story.”
Moreover, Ojabo got hurt during a pass rush drill and had to be helped off the field, according to NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha. It appeared to be a left leg injury at the time, according to Chadiha. Now, we know it’s a torn Achilles.
Ojabo was a major part of the Michigan defense along with Aidan Hutchinson. He had 11 sacks, second on the Wolverines roster only to Hutchinson’s 14. Ojabo is listed as virtually a consensus first-round pick in NFL mock drafts. ESPN’s Todd McShay projected him to go No. 16 overall to the Indianapolis Colts — via a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles — in his latest mock draft.
Ojabo and Hutchinson helped lead Michigan to a College Football Playoff appearance this past season. The Wolverines went 12-2 in 2021 and lost to Georgia in the Orange Bowl.