Former Jacksonville State defensive lineman/edge defender Emmanuel Oyebadejo committed to the Florida Gators on Tuesday, Jan. 6, following a weekend visit to Gainesville.
A native of Manchester, England, Oyebadejo’s path to the SEC has been unique, to say the least. At 6-foot-7-inches and 315 pounds, he has the size to play anywhere on the line, but Florida defensive line coach is likely to utilize him off the edge. Despite having a limited football history, Oyebadejo put together a standout year with the Gamecocks in 2025, putting him on the radar of nearly every SEC team.
Both 247Sports and On3 give Oyebadejo a three-star transfer portal grade. 247Sports ranks him No. 155 overall and No. 12 among defensive linemen in the transfer portal, while On3 has him at Nos. 145 and No. 12, respectively.
— Emmanuel Oyebadejo (@eoyebadejo) January 6, 2026
Emmanuel Oyebadejo’s college career
Oyebadejo’s path to Division I football was unique. He played football for the University of Exeter in southwest England, joining the team after being on the sidelines of a game; he played basketball until he was 18.
After one season across the pond, he started garnering interest from American programs. Florida State was among the first to recruit him. He landed at Jacksonville State and took a redshirt in 2024 after the NCAA denied a waiver.
In 2025, he played in 14 games for the Gamecocks, taking the field for more than 650 defensive snaps. He moved around the defensive line but played the bulk of his snaps at end, not tackle. He recorded 39 tackles (29 solo), 36 quarterback pressures (26 hurries), five sacks, and forced a pair of fumbles, per Pro Football Focus.
PFF gave him an 81.3 overall defensive grade, a 78.9 run-defense grade, a 58.9 tackling grade, a 75.7 pass-rushing grade and a 66.6 coverage grade.
Florida EDGE room
Despite being listed as a defensive lineman and having the size to play on the interior, Oyebadejo is expected to line up at EDGE for Florida. The Gators return rising seniors Kamran James and Kofi Asare with rising redshirt sophomore LJ McCray and rising redshirt freshman Jalen Wigging also on the roster. True freshmen Kevin Ford and JaReylan McCoy are also in the position room but are likely to take a redshirt in Year 1 to develop.
That give Florida a solid four-man rotation on the edge with Wiggins in a reserve role. Here’s how they all stack up, according to PFF. Should Jayden Woods return, and Florida is working to make that happen, the edge defenders room would be one of the stronger position rooms on the team.
| Player | Year (2026) | 2025 Snaps | Overall Defense | Run Defense | Pass Rushing | Tackling | Coverage |
| Jayden Woods | So. | 448 | 70.7 | 60.6 | 72.5 | 32.5 | 74.1 |
| Kamran James | Sr. | 402 | 68.3 | 69.7 | 62.0 | 71.9 | 61.1 |
| Kofi Asare | R-Sr. | 154 | 62.3 | 38.8 | 57.7 | 59.4 | 63.7 |
| Emmanuel Oyebadejo | R-Sr. | 653 | 81.3 | 78.9 | 75.7 | 58.9 | 66.6 |
| LJ McCray* | R-So. | 181 | 57.9 | 64.8 | 57.9 | 68.5 | 55.1 |
*McCray’s 2024 grade are being used because he played just four snaps before being injured in 2025.
Florida 2026 transfer portal additions
Oyebadejo is the 11th official transfer portal addition of the 2026 cycle for Florida.
On offense, Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo, Cincinnati running back Evan Pryor, Georgia Tech wide receiver Bailey Stockton, Wake Forest receiver Micah Mays Jr., James Madison tight end Lacota Dippre and Penn State interior offensive lineman TJ Shanahan have committed.
On defense, Florida has earned commitments from Baylor defensive lineman DK Kalu and Baylor safety DJ Coleman. The Gators are also adding a pair of special teamers from Tulane, kicker Patrick Durkin and punter Alec Clark.
Florida is also expected to land Georgia Tech interior offensive lineman Harrison Moore, who is on an official visit (Jan. 6).
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators football transfer commitment DL Emmanuel Oyebadejo
