'Explosive' Edge Rusher PJ Adebawore Can Change the Face of Oklahoma's Defensive Line
Help is on the way for Oklahoma’s defensive line after the Sooners signed highly coveted defensive end PJ Adebawore on Wednesday.
A product of Kansas City, MO, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound edge rusher became the first defensive player rated as a 5-star prospect by 247Sports’ Composite Ranking since Caleb Kelley signed in OU’s 2016 class.
“PJ Adebawore is just a fantastic young man,” OU coach Brent Venables said on Wednesday. “… He's broad, he's long and he's all arms and limbs. He can really run with very explosive and natural instincts as a pass rusher.
“He's got a great frame, just south of 230 pounds. I really like where he's at and what his future looks like.”
Once the Sooners entered Big 12 play this past season, the defensive ends struggled to produce at the level needed to help propel the OU defense.
Adebawore is a step in the right direction to bolster the edges for Oklahoma.
“Another guy that's really, really explosive and really, really long,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “I don't know what his wingspan is, but it's big. You look at him rushing the passer and doing things like that. It's not only rushing the passer for sacks, it's getting his hands up to bat balls.
“That's a big deal as well. He's a great fit here.”
An early find by Venables and defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis, Adebawore’s talent was evident from the first time Oklahoma’s staff laid eyes on him.
“Miguel and the defensive staff identified PJ last January as a guy that we really felt could grow into something special,” Venables said. “And developed relationships with him and he was pretty lightly recruited until about midway through the summer. And then things really started getting heated up for PJ.”
The Sooners ultimately won the battle for Adebawore on July 10, but interest around the country in the twitchy pass rusher never faded.
As Oklahoma’s season took an unexpected downturn on the field, Venables acknowledged the battle OU was in to keep all of its recruits in the fold.
“There were some storms this season,” Venables said. “I know we didn't plan to be 6-6, matter of fact we planned for exactly the opposite of that, and despite that these players and their families again never flinched.”
Adebawore was one of those recruits who stayed true to his commitment, as Venables said he never sensed him waiver throughout the process.
“Knowing his family and the type of people that they are, he’s very loyal,” Venables said. “Going to do what he says he’s going to do. Never really had a problem whatsoever with him although people continued to try to recruit him.
“He did a great job of managing that along with his family.”
But what really sold the staff on Adebawore were the connections they made with him and his family off the field.
“I love his spirit and he has energy,” Roof said. “A lot of really good positive energy on top of a lot of ability with a lot of commitment and loyalty to the University of Oklahoma. I'm excited about him.”
Adebawore’s brother, Adetomiwa Adebawore, was a standout player at Northwestern.
Venables was no stranger to Adetomiwa Adebawore’s athleticism, something which appears to run in the family with PJ.
“His brother is getting ready to get drafted high,” Venables said.
Having already gone through the recruiting process once with Adetomiwa, PJ knew exactly what he was looking for in his landing spot.
“He values what we value,” Roof said. “He values accountability, he values toughness, he values structure, he values connection, he values family, he values education.
“Regardless of how this landscape of college football changes, those things last forever. The other things that came with it don't last forever, but those things last forever. He's a great fit here.”
Once Adebawore gets on campus, strength coach Jerry Schmidt will get to work on continuing to build his frame while Chavis refines his technique.
But if the early involvement in 2022 of true freshman R Mason Thomas, who arrived on campus last summer instead of in the spring, is any indication, Adebawore should have a chance to make an impact early on in his stay in Norman.
“Ge’s got tremendous, tremendous upside,” Venables said. “And again, he’s about the work. Excellent student. Got tremendous humility. Incredibly intelligent. Great, great talent. Natural pass rush ability.”
Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the AllSooners message board community today!
Sign up for your premium membership to AllSooners.com today, and get access to the entire Fan Nation premium network!
Follow AllSooners on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest OU news.
Get your OU tickets from SI Tickets HERE.
