James Madison transfer defensive lineman Isaac Ukwu, The Athletic’s No. 4 best available player in the transfer portal, committed to Ole Miss on Friday. Ukwu announced his decision on his “Off-Schedule” podcast. Here’s what you need to know:
- Ukwu earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors in 2022 after recording 40 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
- The 6-foot-3, 260-pound defensive lineman will be a seventh-year senior in 2023 with one final season of eligibility for the Rebels.
- Ukwu entered the transfer portal in April and chose Ole Miss over Auburn and Missouri.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What are the Rebels getting in Ukwu?
Ukwu had a long, fascinating career at James Madison but eventually developed into a big-time pass rusher over his final two seasons with the Dukes. Ukwu signed with the Dukes in 2017 and missed two seasons due to knee injuries before he eventually emerged as a starter in 2021.
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Ukwu earned second-team All-CAA honors after recording 16.5 tackles for losses and nine sacks that year. The program moved up to the FBS level last year and Ukwu had another productive season against Sun Belt competition before deciding to move on.
With this addition, coach Lane Kiffin and the Rebels have a chance to finish with another top-five transfer class in the 247Sports rankings.
What made Ukwu one of the top players in the portal?
There weren’t many proven pass rushers still available on the spring transfer market when Ukwu entered the portal on April 25, and the All-Sun Belt performer quickly earned quite a few Power 5 offers based on his experience and tape.
He took official visits to Ole Miss, Auburn and Missouri during his recruiting process and also picked up scholarship offers from Cal, Cincinnati, Colorado, Kansas, Liberty, USF and West Virginia. The seventh-year senior is hoping to boost his draft stock in his final season of eligibility and gets a chance to prove himself in the SEC.
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(Photo: Tommy Martino / University of Montana via Getty Images)
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