From Manchester, England, to Gainesville, Florida, from hopes of becoming a doctor to dreams of competing in the NFL, Emmanuel Oyebadejo’s journey to play for the Gators has been anything but conventional.
In fact, the 6-foot-7, 300-pound defensive lineman didn’t even begin playing football until he was 19 years old. He grew up playing soccer as a midfielder until the age of 11 or 12, before shifting to basketball, playing as a power forward and center from ages 11 to 18. He then attended medical school in the UK at 18, before heading to the States to play on Jacksonville State University's defensive line.
Though he said there was a culture shock upon arriving in Alabama – and shifting from Jacksonville to Gainesville — there weren’t any negative aspects to the transition. He said his time at JSU taught him a lot about the game and prepared him to make the jump to the SEC.
However, one difference Oyebadejo can’t ignore is the technique and physique of players at Florida.
“Everybody's faster, stronger. So, if you’ve got bad technique, you're going to get punished,” Oyebadejo said. “Obviously, I feel like I have physical gifts, but having the technique is so important to make sure that you can compete and stay at this level.”
This stark difference is exactly what attracted Oyebadejo to Gainesville.
He claimed that even compared to the other SEC school he visited, Texas A&M, Florida “felt different.” He said competing in the conference is his best chance to develop against the premier athletes in the country. While his time at Jacksonville State was instrumental in his early development, he’s aware that his size isn’t enough to carry him to the NFL draft. He believes competing in the SEC and working under defensive line coach Gerald Chatman at Florida will help him develop the technique necessary to stand out as an elite rusher.
“My ultimate goal is to play in the NFL and to be a high draft pick. And what better way to be a high draft pick than to prove yourself against the best?” Oyebadejo said. “There's no doubt, from top to bottom, the SEC is the most competitive league in college football.”
Oyebadejo’s self-proclaimed ability to adjust, adapt and learn is what will help him in Chatman’s system, he said. Chatman has pushed Oyebadejo to focus on technique and has helped him get acclimated to the level of play in the SEC. Oyebadejo also noted that Chatman loves his players and pushes them extremely hard to be their best, even giving them phone calls after practice to check in.
Overall, Oyebadejo said he’s already developed a lot under Chatman, especially by putting in extra work through the winter. He’s been working on adjusting to the fast-paced, violent nature of SEC football and has been held to “a higher standard” by the coach through UF’s 10 spring practices.
“In terms of playing the run and being violent with my hands, he's definitely had me adjusting to that,” Oyebadejo said. “I would say initially that was a bit of a struggle too because just the level of technique that he demands and requires, it was something that I hadn't adjusted to yet.”
Though his physicality allows Oyebadejo to stand out, he’s determined to develop an elite, technical skill set to set him apart from other towering linemen. While he leans into using his size and physical ability, Oyebadejo emphasized the importance of building a well-rounded game supported by a technical arsenal.
Especially under Chatman, the 6-foot-7 lineman has been pushed to focus on the finer details of his rush rather than using speed and brute force to penetrate the line.
“A lot of people say, you know, 'he's fast for his size,’ but I think I'm fast for my position,” Oyebadejo said. “My physical gifts help me with that, but I just put so much emphasis into being able to have an actual skill set, not just being confined to just being a power rusher, which is what a lot of people expect looking at me."
Along with delving into improving his technical skills under Chatman, Oyebadejo said he watches both NFL and college players compete to learn about their game and see how the best plays at his position attack the trenches.
In particular, he named Myles Garrett and TJ Watt as NFL linemen who stand out to him, as well as Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. and Texas Tech’s David Bailey.
“I love watching guys at the college level,” Oyebadejo said. “I remember when I was at Jacksonville State, one of the GA's, Nick, he gave me his PFF login pretty early in the season. I just used that, and I was watching guys.”
Though head coach Jon Sumrall said Oyebadejo is nowhere near a finished product, the redshirt senior has an elite physical make up and is eager to learn. Sumrall added that Oyebadejo is “a student of the game,” who is inquisitive and asks great questions.
As far as his talent ceiling goes, UF’s head coach thinks Oyebadejo is special.
“It doesn't take any football connoisseur to be like, 'Wow, what a good-looking dude,’” Sumrall said. “He's got passion about his development, which is exciting. It's nice to be around guys who want to be coached.
This willingness to learn and high ceiling are exactly what can bring Oyebadejo’s game to the next level.
His ultimate goal of playing in the NFL sits just a year away as Oyebadejo enters his final season of eligibility. He’s geared up for an impactful season that can further improve his position in the NFL pipeline.
“I came over here chasing my dreams, and I've been put in a position to achieve something,” Oyebadejo said. “To be here is an achievement in itself, but now I'm also in a position to hopefully achieve more if I work hard and go to the NFL.”
As for his drive and physicality that are likely to pique the interest of NFL teams, the rest of the Gators can’t help but take notice.
“He’s a freak … Probably one of the hardest workers in the room,” said UF defensive lineman Brendan Bett. “He’s benching 375 for five. That’s just not normal to me.”
Contact Curan Ahern at cahern@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @CuranAhern.
Curan is a junior sports journalism student in his fourth semester at The Alligator. He is currently the sports desk's football and enterprise beat writer, and previously served as a reporter for men's tennis, sports enterprise and football. He is currently pursuing a public relations minor and is an avid Duval sports fan. (#DTWD)
