Tigers OL Eze starting to fulfill recruiting hype
Memphis offensive lineman Obinna Eze can be a tough critic. He can at once be proud of his progress, but also find something else to improve.
Take Monday’s practice, when Eze briefly lined up with the Tigers' starters at left tackle instead of senior and allconference selection Trevon Tate.
Norvell said after practice Eze is pushing for a starting spot. Initially, the redshirt freshman expressed optimism about his improvement since the spring.
“My attention to detail is more crisp and better,” Eze said. “I’ve worked hard on studying my plays. So when I get my opportunity, I don’t want to be the weak link.”
Then came the self-check of all the work that's left to be done.
“I feel like when I ran with the 1’s, I did a pretty good job," he added. "But as always, I have to get more physical (and have) better footwork."
It’s part of the growth he's hoping for this season. The Nigerian-born Eze came to Memphis with much fanfare last year as a four-star recruit who turned down scholarship opportunities in the SEC. But he only has three years of playing football prior to this season.
Eze’s size (6-foot-8, 303 pounds) makes him a massive presence, but offensive line coach Ryan Silverfield stressed that Eze is still working to refine his technique. Part of that comes