Impact Analysis: BJ Ojulari
Tennessee won a heated recruiting battle for one of the best pass rushers in the 2020 class, beating out Auburn and LSU for 4-star outside linebacker B.J. Ojulari.
As a junior, the Marietta (Ga.) High standout had 104 stops, including 5.0 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss and has only gotten bigger and stronger this offseason in advance of his senior year.
Ojulari becomes the third Blue Devils commitment to Jeremy Pruitt’s program, joining freshman wideout Ramel Keyton and his current teammate and quarterback Harrison Bailey.
Here’s a detailed look at what all Ojulari’s commitment means…
OJULARI'S SCOUTING REPORT
“He’s a kid who has really turned that corner and come into his own as one of the better pass rusher in the South. He’s a guy who plays both sides of the ball for Marietta (right tackle and outside linebacker) pretty much all the time. He’s not only the best defensive lineman/pass rusher for his team, but he’s also maybe their best pass blocker on the offensive line. He’s started there since he was a freshman. Once he can really focus on playing defensive end or stand-up linebacker at Tennessee, his game can really evolve.
He can take the game to the next level. His craft. His fundamentals. Just focusing all his energy on that pass rushing role. He has good anticipation off the line of scrimmage. A good first step. He can dip that shoulder and get around the corner to use that speed and get to the quarterback. He’s a guy who really excels when he can go get the quarterback. He struggles at times when he’s playing the run against bigger offensive lineman, but being more of an outside linebacker hybrid at Tennessee, I like his upside.
I love his energy, his work ethic, attitude and quickness. I think for sure his best football is ahead of him. He’s only going to get better. He has the right mindset and has already played against great competition. He’s a guy I really like his upside at Tennessee."
— Chad Simmons, Rivals.com Analyst
HOW WILL OJULARI FIT IN WITH THE VOLS?
Ojulari becomes the first true pass rusher in the 2020 class for Tennessee and his combination of elite athleticism, bend and upside are tantalizing tools for that hybrid outside linebacker spot in Pruitt’s defense.
Ojulari is similar to a guy like Darrell Taylor — a bit leaner than a Quavaris Crouch or Deandre Johnson — but a true JACK who is long and quick. At both The Opening and Rivals 5-star Challenge, the 6-foot-4, 228-pound rusher showcased more than just speed off the edge, too, flashing some counter moves and power thanks to his added weight.
With Taylor set to graduate, there’s opportunity, as Pruitt explicitly noted in his speech at SEC Media Days, for a guy like Ojulari to fill one of Tennessee’s “designated pass rusher” spots.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR TENNESSEE?
You could argue that Ojulari’s commitment is Tennessee’s biggest pure “win” on the trail this cycle.
Bailey’s pledge was big and Keshawn Lawrence’s commitment probably means more in a vacuum, but the fight for Ojulari was different.
Tennessee appeared dead in the water just a week ago. Despite Ojulari’s connections on the staff (Chris Rumph, Derrick Ansley, Brian Niedermeyer and former Marietta player and current UT quality control coach Caleb Cox) and frequent visits to Rocky Top, the Tigers — both LSU and Auburn — held all the momentum even up until earlier this week.
But Pruitt spearheaded a push to get back in the door with the Top-150 prospect and the Vols ultimately won a heated battle for a blue-chip recruit at a position of need.
Tennessee can now shift its attention on other outside linebackers like Reggie Grimes and Sav’ell Smalls. The Vols also have another chip in their push for 5-star athlete Arik Gilbert — with two of his teammates now in the 2020 class.