This linebacker was a four-star recruit in high school. Here’s how he landed in Sacramento

Ayodele Adeoye had the football world at his feet.

The 6-foot-1, 240-pound linebacker was a consensus four-star prospect out of IMG Academy in Florida. He spent the last four years at the University of Texas. As a recruit, he was ranked as the 104th player nationally by 247Sports and received 27 full-ride scholarship offers from programs like Oklahoma, Florida, LSU, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, TCU and Texas A&M.

When Adeoye entered the NCAA Transfer Portal last November, he was contacted by a handful of FBS schools. He had the opportunity to go to bigger schools than Sacramento State, but Adeoye decided on the Hornets because of the fit and relationships he built with coaches there.

A key factor was Adeoye grew up in St. Louis, which is the same place Sacramento State running back coach Malcolm Agnew grew up. Agnew was the first Sacramento State coach to reach out to Adeoye when he made it clear he was looking to leave Texas. The plan set out for Adeoye by Sacramento State defensive coaches Kraig Paulson and Andy Thompson sealed the deal. With his signing, he became the highest-ranked transfer portal addition in program history.

“I had a lot of schools that reached out to me before I came (to Sacramento State),” Adeoye said. “I wanted to come somewhere with good relationships and people that will put me in a good position. I was connected with coach Agnew. I knew him a little bit when he was at Nebraska so that’s how I got connected out here.

“I was at Texas, one of the biggest stages. Going there you see the ins and outs of how everything is done. I wanted to get back to the basic of things. I wanted to come to Sac State. Coach Paulson had a plan for me off the rip, same with coach Thompson.”

During his time at Texas, Adeoye played mostly inside linebacker. He played in 25 games and made 10 starts. His best statistical season came in 2019, when he played 13 games and recorded 45 tackles with 2.5 sacks and an interception.

At Sacramento State, the coaching staff envisions him in a new role and position. Adeoye will come off the edge as an outside linebacker/edge rusher while maintaining flexibility to slide inside at mike linebacker. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

“I wanted to come to an FCS school and actually play for something,” Adeoye said. “They had a productive player last year (in Josiah Erickson) who was an All-American. I saw how they were using him and thought that was the best fit for me. It was the best fit for me because of my capabilities and what I brought to the game.”

Adeoye added, “I’m real versatile. I bring the hammer. I’m good at getting off blocks and I run to the ball. I was just scratching the surface at Texas. The sky is the limit (for me) at Sac State with me getting my opportunity.”

In preparation for the change heading into the season, Adeoye started working with pass rusher trainer Aaron Day. His first session with Day was last week in Folsom.

“I thought he had a good day,” Day said after the workout. “He showed a lot of promise and is very coachable. For someone who didn’t rush the passer a lot, it’s important to establish the fundamentals early and get reps. The goal is to build a pass rush toolbox that fits his game, not anyone else’s. He’s got the talent, so it shouldn’t take too long.”

Adeoye comes from a football family. His older brother Aaron had stints on the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens practice squad. He now plays for the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League as a defensive end. His other older brother, Adewale, also plays defensive end for the Michigan Panthers, another team in the USFL.

“It brought out family together,” Adeoye said. “Playing football was something different that we always loved.”

This story was originally published June 27, 2022 at 8:43 AM.