College Football Recruiting: Elk Grove 3* LB Moses Oladejo announces commitment to Bears
The next Evan Weaver, found in the state capital
Moses Oladejo, a 6-2, 225 lb linebacker from Elk Grove, California, has committed to the California Golden Bears. Oladejo picked the Golden Bears over offers from the Army, Colorado, Arizona, Kansas, San Diego State, and Fresno State.
Oladejo, who attends Cosumnes Oaks High, is the Bears’ eleventh recruit of the 2021 class. Recruiting sites label Oladejo an outside linebacker, but he self-reports that his main recruiter from the Bears was inside linebacker coach Peter Sirmon, a possible hint of a position switch.
Inside linebacker is a perfect match for Oladejo: he has the frame to grow and the mindset to hit. He is the type of player whom scouts keep a folder on. My smile is widest when local recruits have NFL potential and sign for the hometown school.
According to major recruiting sites, Oladejo is a consensus 3* player. National recruiting analyst Greg Biggins, though, recently designated Oladejo as nearing 4* status and stated his belief that Oladejo deserved a nation-wide recruitment.
You can watch his highlight reel here on Hudl.
Welcome to Berkeley, Moses! GO BEARS!
Tangibles
Depending on the source, he’s between 6’2” and 6’4” and 225-240 lbs. My completely unscientific eyeball test puts him closer to 6’2” and 230 lbs. However, he is only 16 years old – so he’s still growing. According to his head coach, he runs a 4.70 40 and has a 7 foot wingspan (very big). He’s also getting used to his size since he put on nearly 40 pounds in a year. He is not afraid to rock the half shirt. And, folks, you can scrub jeans on that washboard. He is quality beefcake / genetic freak. No need to gain weight here – he is already a beast.
Competition
COHS plays in the Delta League, which is in the second division of the San Joaquin Section. This section does not have a dominant programs, but does have some teams known for hard-nosed football like Grant (Sacramento), the Elk Grove schools, and a few teams out of Rockville and Modesto. COHS is one of the best programs in the section, focused more on good defense rather than air-it-out offense. COHS is very good, but it’s a stretch to call it high school football royalty. COHS generally blew out weaker opponents and was in close battles with better teams – but lost a headscratcher to a fairly weak Franklin HS. Oladejo was one of the top 2 players on COHS defense last year. Oladejo played both ways last year – TE and OLB. He projects to be an OLB/DE akin to what Tevin Paul plays – the heavier OLB. He won’t play TE because his defense is so much better than his offense. But his TE highlights of him absolutely trucking his opposition is wicked fun.
Video
Hoo-boy. His tape is neat. When he is let loose to rush, he smashes through the line. He is has a very quick first step. And his power steps absolutely overwhelm his competition. He is a monster let loose in backfields, destroying linemen, and creating havoc. He has very, very long arms so his tackling radius is huge. He already has a wicked ball rip move. COHS played a read-react defense where Oladejo sets the edge. He is a wall that is tough to throw over. If there’s downside, his footwork needs to speed up, his lateral speed seems sluggish, and he’s short on experience where he can read plays quick enough. He also tends to play spread out on the edge like a net, hoping to lunge for players as they run past him. As a result, he’s a bit vulnerable to people running around him. But all his weaknesses can only get better with time and experience.
Bottom line.
Cal has a 3-star kid that I will be shocked if he doesn’t get his fourth star. He is an absolute fire-breathing beast and I am tickled pink he is committed to Cal. If he can get his mind around mastering the position, he seems to be a starter as a sophomore and even challenge for playing time as a freshman if he joins spring training because he's that physically gifted.
Is he the one to lead us to the promised land? (sorry, couldn't resist)