The Wolverine

March 2012

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/70101

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 65 of 115

2012 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE Farmington Hills (Mich.) Harrison head coach John Herrington has seen a lot of defenders come and go on his way to 13 state championships in football. What he hasn't witnessed involves a defensive tackle better than the one he's sending Michigan's way for next season. At 6-2, roughly 220 pounds, Mario Ojemudia isn't des- tined for a tackle spot in maize and blue, unless he tack- les a host of buffets first. But that's not likely, given his abilities off the edge of the line of scrimmage, combined with the relentless way he goes about his business. "I'm going to be a pass-rush specialist, a hybrid de- fensive end/outside linebacker," Ojemudia declared. "That's what excites me the most. They run a lot of defenses, and a lot of different types of stunts. I can see myself playing in that system." Mario Ojemudia Can Be A Force Off The Edge Having Ojemudia at his disposal over the next few years no doubt excites Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison as well. Given Mattison's desire to put consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, Ojemudia appears to be a key piece of the puzzle. "He's a great pass rush guy," Herrington insisted. "There was this one play against Oxford that I'll always remember. He rushed the passer and he missed the tackle and was on the ground. He got up off the ground and the passer kept scrambling outside the pocket. By the time he got to the sideline, Mario tackled him. "I don't know why, but that play just sticks out with me. It wasn't a big play in the game or anything, but how he could get up off the ground and still make a play on a quarterback that was running outside was incredible." That sort of unyielding pursuit will serve him well in Ann Arbor. Ojemudia can grow into the type of college performer that always has to be accounted for by an op- ponent's game plan. That was certainly the case in high school, almost to a ridiculous degree. Ojemudia notched 253 total stops (173 solo), 46 tackles for loss and 26 sacks in three varsity seasons at Farmington Hills (Mich.) Harrison. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Farmington Hills (Mich.) Harrison found itself on its way for a possible 14th state title under Herrington, ranked No. 1 in the state in Division 2. But Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice derailed Harrison in the state playoffs, 30-7. Herrington's squad felt the double whammy that week. The Hawks not only lost their starting quarterback to injury before the two teams met, they also lost Ojemu- dia for the entire first half. The senior had attended a Nike camp in the offseason in which pads were allowed. That's against Michigan High School Athletic Association rules, and Ojemudia wasn't aware of it. Such a misstep usually involves miss- ing a scrimmage at the start of the year. This particular incident didn't get reported to the MH- SAA until the week of the Brother Rice game. That put Ojemudia on the bench in the first half, and Harrison in a much deeper hole. "It was devastating to us," Herrington said. "The fact is, we didn't find out until Tuesday. Even though he got to play the second half, it was disruptive in practice and in our psychology going in. I'm sure it bothered him and he thought he'd let us down, but he didn't know the rule. "We didn't know he'd even been out there with pads. 66 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2012 The timing of [the infraction disclosure] was … pretty odd." "We also had our quarterback out that game," Ojemu- dia noted. "We just didn't play well as a team. I think it made a big difference. It probably would have been a different outcome if that was changed." Ojemudia can't change the end of his senior season, but he's fully focused on making the beginning of his Michigan career the best it can possibly be. He's ready to receive his marching (or rushing) orders from Mattison, and make as quick an impact as possible. "That's definitely on my mind," he said. "I feel like it's all up to how hard I work and how dedicated I am. It's really surreal. It really hasn't hit me yet, how significant it's going to be. I can't wait." Herrington insists his prize pupil possesses the classic personality split for football success. "Away from the field, he's very quiet," Herrington noted. "He does his work in school and gets everything done. He's a workout warrior in the weight room, like most of the guys that will be coming to Michigan. But you hardly know he's around here. "He's not really a fire-up guy off the field, but when he gets on the field, he is. He'll talk some. It's almost like two personalities." That's two personalities, but one clear target in sight — the quarterback. — John Borton

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of The Wolverine - March 2012