5-Star DE Prospect Eyabi Anoma Commits to Alabama over Michigan

One of the best pass-rushers in the class of 2018 made his collegiate decision Wednesday as defensive end Eyabi Anoma committed to play for the Alabama Crimson Tide. 

Hank South of 247Sports reported the news.

According to 247sports, Anoma is the No. 7 ranked recruit in the nation and the No. 2 DE.

Anoma was completely off the national radar entering his 2016 high school season, but things changed quickly when he registered 24 sacks and 60 tackles at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, per Josh Barnett of USA Today.

That turned Anoma into a hot commodity and led to him receiving a number of scholarship offers from some of the nation's top schools.

Alabama, Michigan, Penn State and Georgia were among the programs that pursued him.

At nearly 6'5" and 230 pounds, Anoma is a physical athlete who excels at speed-rushing around offensive tackles and utilizing an array of moves to get to the quarterback.

He is also a standout basketball player, which speaks to his elite athleticism.

Perhaps the most attractive part of Anoma's game, however, is his non-stop motor, which he discussed with Barnett: 

"I play all my games with the same intensity with urgency. I don't take downs for granted. Even if the ball is away from me, I'm still running to the ball trying to make a play. Against IMG, the film shows I had a couple of tackles from the back. Had I been running half speed or taking a loaf, I wouldn't have made the play but because I was running full speed, I was able to make the play."

Players with Anoma's immense talent level can be susceptible to taking plays off or resting on their laurels, but that has never been an issue with the highly touted pass-rusher.

Provided he carries that work ethic over to the college level, Anoma has a legitimate chance to develop into one of the top defensive ends in the nation.

No program is more renowned for its defense than Alabama, and one of the biggest reasons for that has been head coach Nick Saban's ability to consistently land top recruits on that side of the ball.

There is little doubt that Anoma will be surrounded by elite talent with the Crimson Tide, and that should help him reach his potential in terms of forcing opposing offenses to spread out their attention rather than focusing solely on him.