UK commit Tomiwa Durojaiye: "Everything that I’m looking for is at Kentucky"

Tomiwa Durojaiye has lofty goals and he believes Kentucky can take him there.

A class of 2022 6-foot-4, 255-pound defensive line prospect out of Middletown, Delaware, Durojaiye announced his commitment to the Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday afternoon, choosing UK over the likes of Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia. It wasn’t until the night before his planned commitment date that word slowly began to leak out which way he was leaning. Durojaiye was tactical with his approach, keeping hints to a minimum, but not necessarily on purpose.

“Not went out of my way, but I definitely wanted to keep a low profile,” Durojaiye told KSR about his recruitment. “I didn’t get Crystal Ball’d until I called a couple of schools and told them I was going to UK, so I won’t say that nobody knew where I was going but if you think about it, nobody could really Crystal Ball me. A lot of people thought I was going to Georgia Tech or South Carolina but I will say this: with my top five, it was real close. Every other school all made it difficult, but with Kentucky, it felt the best and I would say I was really open-minded for a long time in my recruitment.”

Durojaiye isn’t the biggest name in the recruiting world, but one with untapped potential and a college-ready frame. He plans to play defensive end at Kentucky and consistently referenced past Kentucky defenders such as Josh Allen, Za’Darius Smith, and Bud Dupree, along with current Wildcat pass rusher Josh Paschal, as reasons for him to believe that he could be properly developed in Lexington.

But someone had to coach those players into the special talents that they are now. Kentucky’s coaching staff has proven year over year that they can develop three-star recruits into first-round NFL Draft picks. They have plenty of evidence to back up the pitch they’re currently selling.

“Coach (Jon) Sumrall, he’s one of the most respected linebacker coaches in the country,” Durojaiye said. “Coach (Brad) White has coached a lot of pass rushers in Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, being an NFL coach at one point. Coach (Mark) Stoops, his family, that’s rich history right there. Coach (Anwar) Stewart bleeds blue, he went to Kentucky. Before he went to (Appalachian) State he had a big part of Josh Allen’s development as a pass rusher and really just seeing how Josh Paschal–he made a smart move to come back for a year and I think his stock is going to increase this year. So from Bud Dupree to Za’Darius Smith to Josh Allen and Josh Paschal right now, plus seeing all the coach’s resumes, it was like I could reach all my goals I want to reach, it’s on me to put in that work.”

In the end, it all does come down to putting in the work. This was another point that Durojaiye was adamant to make. He has goals of playing in the NFL. He has goals of being a high-level starter early on for Kentucky. But he fully understands that none of that will be possible if he doesn’t set the tone for himself.

“They pretty much explained to me that the opportunity is there I just gotta go get it,” Durojaiye said about the Kentucky staff. “Both of their D-ends will graduate this year. I can come in and be a stand-up guy or a field-end, most likely by the end of my career I’ll be a field-end; where Bud Dupree and Za’Darius Smith and Josh paschal, how they always had their head in the dirt. Even with Josh Paschal, when I was watching film with the coaches–we watched film in springtime–but they took plays that I made on my high school tape and then would show plays of Josh making that same kind of play, how my play can translate to their play. And then the second time I went for my unofficial visit in person, I actually got to break down Josh (Paschal) in practice and just see everything that Coach Stewart is teaching his D-linemen and I was impressed. So having that opportunity to come in and play early was definitely something that I had been looking for. But like I said I know that D-line will be talented, I know I’m gonna have to put that work in.”

It’s entirely possible that Durojaiye could have gone elsewhere and found even more playing time at an earlier rate, but there will be plenty of opportunities in Lexington for him to make that happen. And besides, making a college decision should go far beyond how many snaps can be earned before your sophomore season.

The talent ahead of him will push him. The coaching staff will push him. Academics will push him. Durojaiye wants to go where he knows his potential can be reached.

“The coaching staff’s resumes–Coach White, Coach Sumrall, Coach Stoops, and Coach Stewart, their resumes was kinda impressive to me,” Durojaiye said. “The vibe I got when I was hanging around the team and hanging around the players, it just felt like a family atmosphere. You could tell that guys came from different parts, that guys didn’t grow up the same, but they were all just one big family. Not even just the players but the staff, the way they communicate with the players, it was just all the love. And having an opportunity to play early, I feel like with Kentucky I’m on a talented team. To be able to go in there and have that chance–I know it won’t be given to me and I got to work, and I’m willing to put in that work to show them that if I put in that work and the results are showing, that I’m going to have an opportunity to play. It’ll be a fair opportunity.”

Kentucky was the very last school that Durojaiye took a visit to before making his final decision. That visit, which came as an unofficial during the last week in July, proved to be an important one, but it wasn’t what made him pick the ‘Cats. After being recruited almost entirely by Zoom and over the phone, Durojaiye wanted to be absolutely sure that Kentucky was the place he wanted to call his future home.

“Everything that I’m looking for is at Kentucky right now,” Durojaiye said.

Being from Delaware, Durojaiye didn’t have the luxury of showcasing his talents in front of as many eyes as possible. He’s one of the two or three best players from his home state in the class of 2022 but is ranked as a low three-star prospect by most recruiting outlets. He knows his worth, though.

“Some people think they should have that it more than you, so for me to have that target on my back, I love that,” Durojaiye said about playing in Delaware. “I don’t really like the underdog story but I would say I overcame the adversity of not being able to play in a big state. I’ve been to camps, I’ve went against some of the top kids.”

Durojaiye is more than ready for this moment. He’s eager to grow both on and off the gridiron, putting his faith into the Kentucky program that both sides can make his dreams a reality.

“Off the field, just growing as a person, becoming a better person,” Durojaiye said. “I feel like at Kentucky, the player development and academic staff, they won’t let me short-change myself and that was one of the biggest things that drew me toward Kentucky. And then as a player, the coaching staff, their resumes are perfect and I feel like the best spot that can help me reach my goals. I mean their motto is recruit and develop so I know I can go in there to have a chance to improve and develop.”

Welcome to the Big Blue Nation, Tomiwa.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @bigt0mi