Ajibola Afuye | Stillwater
Ajibola Afuye
- Class
- 2026
- Position
- DL
- Height
- 6'4"
- Weight
- 230
- School
- Stillwater
About Ajibola
Player Claimed
Expert Analysis
Oliver West | Prep Redzone Scout
A top-tier prospect in the Great State of Minnesota, 6’5, 230 lb. All-Conference DE Ajibola Afuye is on a short list of Minnesotans who have been consistently on the radar of the in-state Minnesota Gophers. He is invited to their upcoming Junior Day as well as legitimately possessing a chance to earn the coveted in-state B1G offer, and that’s no surprise given the frame, size, and athleticism displayed in his junior film. Afuye went form a 6’3-6’4, 210 lb. sophomore to a near 6’5, 230+ lb. junior 6A defensive end who exploded onto the D1 recruiting scene thanks to his strong play with the Ponies in 2024. This is where his relationship with the Golden Gophers began, as word quickly spread about the mystery defensive end coming out of Stillwater High School. The likes of NDSU, Kansas State, Kansas, Iowa State, and South Dakota visited Stilly to meet Afuye this offseason, and the DE also visited Fargo for the Bison’s junior day as well. The issue is that the size and athleticism need to be confirmed with both testing and in-person evals and workouts, so I’ll be working my tail off to get this kid to the upcoming PRZMN spring showcase. I think Afuye is going to have to prove it, and potentially blow up, on the offseason and summer camp circuit.
The junior tape, in which Afuye totaled 60 tackles, 6 TFLs, 4 sacks, one blocked FG, and 2 PBUs, shows a standup EDGE who can align as far as a WIDE9 along the LOS, also puts his hands in the dirt and operates and finds work as a 5T. He looks flexible and shows good pad level in his stance and off the snap, owns loose hips that he can unlock to beat OTs at the top of the arc and a strong base when he drops his hips and sets his feet. He’s twitchy, shows good initial pop and does a good job of setting and defending the edge with proper leverage, and his long arms and bounce helped him block a FG attempt last season. Afuye does a good job of not getting tied up by blockers around the LOS and using his hands to shock and shed OTs and TEs. Does a good job of locking out his arms and creating separation to hold OL at bay when reading and finding the rock. uses his strong hands and active arm usage to then shed and tackle at or behind the LOS. He displays quick lateral agility and can read, anticipate, and cut past incoming OL and pulling blockers to win 1v1s with quickness, and he reacts to offensive run concepts and oncoming blockers effectively in run support. His noticeable body control catches the eye and flashes tons of athleticism, he does a great job of executing twists and stunts and can cover a ton of ground with quick, concise movements laterally off the snap, and is a physical tackler and goes all-out into contact and laid some big hits on helpless QBs in 2024. His length and athleticism are an asset and he’s always looking to create a big hit or crushing collision. I’m itching and scratching to get this kid on the microscope ASAP.
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