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Locking¬†down the Big Apple has been a priority of Doug Marrone, and because¬†of it Syracuse may¬†land a dynamic 1-2 punch.¬†Highly sought-after DE Ebenezer Ogundeko from New York City confirms to The Fizz he and fellow Brooklyn-ite Augustus Edwards want to play¬†together¬†in college. ‚ÄúThat‚Äôs definitely the plan,‚Äù admitted the huge 6’4″, 265 lb. edge rusher. Edwards is a running back from Tottenville HS, and he has played against Ogundeko his whole life.¬†Ebo and AE are two of top prospects in the state, and whoever lands the duo is getting a huge impact pair. Ogundeko says the plan is already in the works.
“Me and him, our personalities are the same and we are pretty cool people. We look forward to seeing each other, and doing damage on the field for the next four or five years.”
Ebo piled up 11 sacks and 79 tackles last season and has over 20 scholarship offers from schools like Alabama, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. But the fly in the ointment is that none of those schools have offered the 6’2” Edwards. It seems crazy for Ebenezer to pass up offers to the nation’s most dominant BCS schools just to play with his boy, but the Orange is doing its part.
Syracuse, UConn, Pitt, Rutgers, Temple, Purdue and Vanderbilt are the only schools that have offered both players. Bama has shown Edwards some interest but has not yet offered. It might seem like a no-brainer for the Tide, Irish and Buckeyes to throw a bone to Edwards just to land Ebo. But those schools will have far better RB prospects to pick from, and there are hard scholarship limits in college football. Is Ebo worth the package deal for national champion contenders?
Edwards did rush for over 1,500 yards last season, and possesses some great quickness in the open field despite his tall and lanky frame. Edwards and Ogundeko visited the Hill, a week before the Spring Game to hang with fellow New Yorker Wayne Morgan. Morgan said the three had a blast, and Ebo echoed the same sentiment to The Fizz.
“We had a great time, it was a great experience. I got to experience the studentand student athlete life. I got to meet some of the players, and I had a great connection with the coaches. It was fun.”
While it’s unlikely SU could ever beat Alabama or Ohio State to a player, the Orange stacks up well against¬†the short list of schools that have offered both Brooklyn boys. The¬†duo¬† is close with Wayne and Brandon Reddish, who have both have to put on their recruiting hats.
The last few weeks for Ogundeko have been chaotic as the offers keep piling up, and coaches‚Äô visits roll in. Ever since Ebo’s de-commit from UConn in February, the madness has ensued. Ebenezer did meet and talk with the Syracuse staff on multiple occasions¬† recently. He chatted with Doug Marrone when he visited campus, and when¬†the¬†staff¬†traveled to NYC for an in-home. In true Dougie fashion, HCDM left an impression of responsibility.
“The coaches are great. I like their personalities. They are the type of people that will take care of you.”
Coach John Anselmo has been hot on the Ogundeko recruiting trail, which will certainly heat up over the summer. One thing Ebo did truly enjoy was the Dome, maybe more than your average recruit. He admitted playing in there means a lot to him.
“Of course. [Playing in the Carrier Dome] is motivational. Playing there makes you go harder each play. You want to leave there with a win every time.”
Will Ebenezer disregard top offers from premier programs just to play with Augustus? And will one of those elite schools offer a package deal? Those answers will take some time, but in the meantime it’s good to know Morgan will be discussing those plans all summer with his Brooklyn bros.
Posted: Kevin Fitzgerald
