The stress of announcing his college choice has forced elite Brooklyn DE Ebenezer Ogundeko to put his decision on hold. The Syracuse target will not announce his decision tomorrow as original planned, and instead hold off until December.
EO says that he wants to follow through with his remaining official visits. His top three finalists remain the same (SU, UF, Notre Dame), but he’s drawn interest from other schools such as Clemson, Alabama, and Arizona State. He also said about a month ago that Ole Miss is in the mix. Ebo told¬†GatorSports.com¬†he‚Äôd rather be absolutely certain and think it over:
“I’m just not ready. I don’t feel completely solid with my decision. I felt like I was at The Opening, but over the past couple of days I’ve realized I need more time.”
Ogundeko had originally decided to make his plans known on July 20th. That would’ve been shortly after his¬†stint at Nike‚Äôs The Opening¬†and just ten days following¬†his best friend Augustus Edwards choosing the Orange.¬†He then pushed the date to this Tuesday, which also would’ve been okay for Syracuse. The Hill is the last place he has seen, since Ebo just completed a trip to SU with Edwards two weekends ago.
The delay can be interpreted as both good and bad for SU’s chances. On the bright side, he wants to revisit each campus in his top three. Perhaps another¬†trip to the Hill¬†will connect him with many of the NYC ballers already on campus like Wayne Morgan. If Syracuse can surprisingly pull off an exciting and bowl-worthy season, Ebo may be intrigued by that. If he was going to choose Florida but is having second thoughts because of depth at his position, that can only be good news for SU.¬†
On the dark side, there seemed to be some momentum for SU since Edwards had just chosen Orange two weeks ago, and the duo had recently visited campus. Also, if Doug Marrone’s team indeed has a rocky season like some anticipate, it could pale in comparison to winning campaigns in Gainesville or South Bend.
Ogundeko has yet to name a favorite in the race for his duties. Despite other top programs jumping into the mix, he wants to revisit his contenders one last time:
“I feel like it’s best for me to not rush things and go on my officials. I want to see all three of my finalists again so I can be 100 percent sure.”
Reports have surfaced that EO was leaning towards Florida, but became tentative because of Gator depth at his position. The Fizz looked at the numbers for all the finalists, and SU has the fewest total commits of the final three, as well as at his position.
Ebo has¬†apologized via social media, preaching how big a choice this is for him. He has also been¬†retweeting fans of his final three.¬†It shows the potential he has to become an easy fan-favorite wherever he suits up. Ogundeko has obviously had¬†uncertainty throughout much of the process. He also de-committed from UConn back in February. But deciding during the summer can often be very difficult for the most sought-after athletes. They have yet to play their senior seasons, and won’t put their names on the dotted lines until February. We know the frantic last-minute recruiting that happens in late-January. While some schools respect verbal commitments, they’re also non-binding. So no matter what Ebo announced tomorrow he likely would still have had recruiters contacting him until the winter.
If December is indeed the date, then sit back and be patient SU fans. Ebenezer could be the ultimate Christmas present for Orange Nation.
Posted: Brendan Glasheen
