New in-state target talks Mizzou offer
NORTH KANSAS CITY — One of Missouri’s most recent scholarship offers in the 2023 class went to a familiar position at a familiar school: the North Kansas City defensive line.
A season ago, the Hornets’ defensive front featured defensive tackles Domonique Orange, who landed a Missouri offer but ultimately signed with Iowa State, plus Edric Hill, a high-priority target in the 2023 class. Now, add defensive end Adepoju “PJ” Adeboware to the list. Adeboware has received a flood of new Power Five offers in recent weeks, and one of those came from Missouri when the Tigers extended an offer on Feb. 2.
Adeboware called the influx of attention both “a good thing” and “overwhelming.” In the span of less than two weeks, he picked up seven offers, all from Power Five schools: Michigan, Illinois, Oregon, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, USC and Missouri. That adds to an offer list that already included Arkansas, Iowa, Iowa State and Kansas.
Adeboware said college coaches love his combination of length and speed. At 6-foot-4 with long limbs, he has the prototypical frame of an edge rusher with plenty of room to add weight. And while his speed and explosiveness have turned heads, he feels like he can still demonstrate more of that during his senior season.
“I feel like I didn’t showcase that enough,” he said. “They’re going to see some speed off me, off that edge.”
Adeboware also has a college pedigree. His older brother Adetomiwa Adeboware just put together a breakout year at Northwestern, where he started all 12 games at defensive end and recorded 36 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception.
Add it all up and Adeboware has college coaches intrigued. With so many of his offers just arriving in the past few weeks, he’s still in the early stages of his recruitment. But he has taken a few unofficial visits. He visited Kansas last month and he went to Missouri for a junior day last year. He’s scheduled to visit Oklahoma on March 5.
He also said one school has started to stand out.
“I’m liking Michigan,” Adeboware said. “They got two d-linemen that they’re about to send to the league. I couldn’t say anything else for sure yet, I’ve got a couple ideas, but I know one for sure I’m looking at is Michigan.”
As for the home-state school, Adeboware said he hasn’t yet formed a deep relationship with the Missouri staff. He has primarily talked with defensive tackles coach Al Davis. (Note: Adeboware was interviewed prior to defensive coordinator Steve Wilks leaving for the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday.)
“It’s been good,” he said when asked about Missouri. “They’ve been showing me love since they offered me. They just offered me, so it’s no like crazy relationship yet, but still working towards it.”
Adeboware said there would be some intrigue in playing his college football two hours from home, and his parents, in particular, would be pleased about that. But he doesn’t anticipate location to be the driving factor in his decision. Ultimately, he said he’s looking for a place where he feels wanted and where he has a good relationship with a coaching staff that will look out for him both on and off the field.
“I want a college that’s like, really, I can tell that they really want me,” Adeboware said. “Just for them to invest in me on and off the field, kind of like a good relationship.”
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