Michigan football’s Eyabi Anoma: ‘He can be an absolute beast’
Michigan added a late defensive end transfer in Eyabi Anoma, a former player of associate head coach Biff Poggi’s at Baltimore St. Frances. He’ll be immediately eligible after graduating from UT-Martin and spending time at Alabama and Houston.
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Anoma notched 36 tackles, including six sacks, at Tennessee-Martin last season. His sack total and eight tackles for loss led the Ohio Valley conference. The former Michigan recruit was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team at Alabama in 2018 and has an extra gear not many his size can reach.
“He’s a tremendous, tremendous athlete,” former Michigan All-American tackle Jon Jansen said on a recent In the Trenches podcast. “He is going to be a great addition coming out of high school. This is a guy that was compared to [former first-round NFL Draft pick and current Las Vegas Raiders defensive end] Chandler Jones.
“He’s 6-5, 250. He can be an absolute beast.”
“Can be” being the key words. Anoma has yet to reach his full potential, having attended three schools in four years. He’s got the physical tools, however, to help Michigan at a key position of need.
The Wolverines need edge rushers, and Anoma fits the bill.
“He’s got the speed; he’s got the athletic ability,” Jansen said of Michigan’s newest addition. “Obviously, at 6-5, he’s got the length; he’s got the size and the strength. It’s the complete package.
“Right now, the task at hand is going to be getting him up to speed on the defenses, making sure he is aware of where he’s supposed to be, when he’s supposed to be there. [That’s] on the field and off the field, as well.”
Jansen doesn’t think it will take him long to see the field, however.
“At some point, with an athlete like this, you don’t hold him back and wait for him to understand every package in the defense,” Jansen said. “At some point you just say, ‘third and long – go get the quarterback.’ That’s the beautiful thing about having a late grad transfer at this time on the defensive side of things, especially up front.
“It can be — and I make this joke all the time — but here, it can literally be, ‘see ball — get ball.’ He has that ability. Now, throughout the season, as he continues to get more familiar with the defense, they’re going to use him in a lot of different ways. But right now, you’re going to see pure, absolutely athletic ability.”
How soon remains to be seen. But the Michigan transfer has turned the page on his past and is putting in the work.
