Emil Ekiyor flips from Michigan to Alabama

Alabama continued to push for Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral offensive lineman Emil Ekiyor even though the four-star had been committed to Michigan for over a year. That effort paid off, though, as the Crimson Tide secured Ekiyor’s commitment on Sunday.

“I think it was more of Alabama emerged as the better fit for me,” Ekiyor commented. “It was nothing against Michigan; I just felt Alabama was the better place for me.

“The relationships I built with the staff and the players there, they just made me feel very comfortable down there. Then, playing for arguably the greatest head coach of all time is very appealing. We really took some time and thought about this decision hard, so I feel pretty confident in the decision I made.”

Ekiyor took an official visit to Alabama the weekend of Sept. 29. He then returned to Tuscaloosa as an unofficial visitor for their Oct. 21 game against Tennessee.

“The unofficial pretty much sealed the deal. It was the icing on the cake,” Ekiyor said. “I just felt that was the place for me and pulled the trigger.”

Alabama recruited the 6-foot-4, 330-pound Ekiyor to play either the offensive guard or offensive center positions. The chance to play early at center due to a lack of depth was another appealing factor in Alabama’s favor.

Ekiyor is not a mid-year enrollee, but now that his decision is made he expects to sign in the early, December period.

“For probably about two months straight I have been stressing about this decision, so it’s just relieving to get that burden off my back,” Ekiyor said.