WCG’s lead draft analyst speaks with Alabama’s versatile defensive line standout.
In his five seasons with the Crimson Tide, Alabama defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe was a staple of the defensive line rotation.
Whether it be up the middle or off the edge, Eboigbe made an impact whenever he was on the field. It takes a lot to stand out on defensive lines with guys like Will Anderson, Dallas Turner, Chris Braswell, Christian Barmore and Phidarian Mathis, but he managed to do exactly that. His consistency paid off in a big way in 2023, when he was named a first-team All-SEC defender and earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl.
Windy City Gridiron spoke with Eboigbe about his Alabama career, playing for Nick Saban in his last year, his pre-draft process, and more.
JI: You got moved around the defensive line quite a bit in college. How does your approach change along the interior, compared to further outside?
JE: It’s just preparation based off what each and every man from the defensive line is doing, as far as if they’re running a stunt, whatever the job is. Whether it’s A-gap, B-gap, whatever it is, whatever type of scheme, it is having the ability to understand each and every position. I understand that the more versatile you are, the more likely chance that you can stay on the field. When you only got one position you know, 9 times out of 10, whenever something else comes up, they’re gonna put somebody else on the field. If you want to stay out on the field, which everybody wants to do, you need to know what everybody’s doing. When you know that, you don’t have to be pulled from the field.
JI: You’ve been a key part of some dominant Alabama defensive lines. What has it been like, playing alongside so many current and future NFLers?
JE: First and foremost, it’s competition. The competition aspect, as far as having dudes in a room or having outside linebackers that you work closely with, you see they’re hard at work, so it gets you a little bit more [motivated]. If you see them doing a little bit as you’re getting some action, and vice versa, they see you doing something, then they tend to do the same thing, try and get a little bit extra. To start in practice, you’re going up against great players on the other side of the ball on the offensive line. I always name off the dudes that I faced in practice like Jedrick Wills, Landon Dickerson, Alex Leatherwood, Evan Neal. All these dudes are great players and [were] especially great in college, so just the competition aspect. [When] there’s dudes that’s on the line, you’re trying to beat a dude that’s sometimes better than the guy you’ll face on Saturday. Each and every day, you just work on getting more comfortable learning things. You don’t have to be verbal to understand why we run a game or a stunt; I can give them a look, or he can give me a look, and we build that chemistry to where you understand what I’m thinking, I understand what you think. That’s where the game becomes more fluid, and [you] understand that you try and keep things under wraps as far as like not having to say [calls] verbally, because offenses a lot may know some things you can do and [decipher] it out on the outside of the look, he’ll know what I’m talking about, or vice versa.
JI: You guys always have studs entering the NFL. Who’s up next for Alabama in the trenches?
JE: I’d say the d-line room with Tim Smith, Jah-Marien Latham, Tim Keenan. Them dudes are the next ones up as far as being able to ygo into the draft next year. Then, you got young guys: a guy who just transferred from [Texas] A&M, LT Overton, we got young guys that was you know, freshmen last year like Hunter Osborne, Edric Hill. They may not have stepped on the field [much] for Bama yet, but you know what they can do. These guys were each and every day in practice, these guys all learn how to be a pro, learn how to be a professional. You may not be on the field to affect the game as far as being a one of the 11 on the field, but you can also impact the game by telling the guys who was on the field. Personally for me last year, they’d be like, “okay, left tackle’s doing this, that left guard, when they want to counter, he’s a little bit off the ball; he’s pulling, or anytime the right tackle was in three point stance they run, when he’s in a the two-points stance, pass.” So give him a keynote. They will always trying to win, you’re gonna get your chance, you won’t be hoping the same thing from a young guy, keeping them engaged, telling them that you can possibly positively affect the game in more ways than you think. It’s not just always about being on the field. You can do it a lot of other ways.
JI: You got the chance to play for Nick Saban in his last year as Alabama’s head coach. What does that mean to you?
JE: It’s kind of bittersweet, because you want to end it the right way; you want to end it being the ones to win that championship. Of course, [I’m] grateful that I was able to be in his last season at coach, but you also feel for the guys who came in recruiting and expecting to play for him and the guys who expected to be coached by him through your college years. [You] just understand that we were blessed to be able to sit down with him, to be coached by him, have a conversation with him, that you take the lessons and the things that he taught you, you carry that wherever [your next move] may be: new coach or going into a new system, going into the league, understand all the values and things that he taught you, carry that with you. All the guys who paved the way before you, and the same way with the guys like myself who are going on to another level, you can’t do that until the the younger guys, the generation that’s coming after you [takes it on].
JI: You talked a bit about your pre-snap approach. How do you determine which move you’re going to use to shed blocks at the line of scrimmage?
JE: I say it starts during the week. Watching tape and preparation, seeing moves guys from other schools have been successful with, and also looking at moves that the o-lineman is good at stopping. It starts during the week, seeing as much film as possible to where you can get a feel going into the game day, and then honestly, sometimes all that film don’t mean nothing; you got to do it yourself. Sometimes it’s more of a feel during the game, as far as you may be setting yourself up with a lot of power moves to make them have to use a quick set or to hunker down and stuff like that, to where they can go up in there…basically playing a cat and mouse game to where you’re seeing everything up, but also realize that you don’t got that much time to get back, so even if you always do gotta go power, you got to do what’s most effective. It ain’t always gonna be cute, but as long as you’re beating him some way, not just sacks, but getting him to roll out of the pocket or getting batted balls, whatever it may be.
JI: You got the chance to go to the Senior Bowl. What did that experience mean to you?
JE: [I liked] just to be able to play football again. I know I didn’t want my last time to suit up for Alabama [to be when we played] Michigan, so and I wanted to go out there and compete again. It’s something I love doing, competing. You heard a lot about a lot of people [playing at the Senior Bowl], and you want to see what all that noise is about. Going up against each other in practice, I knew everybody was going to be good, so it wasn’t gonna be no excuses. That’s why I loved to be able to represent Alabama, playing with them on the helmet. It was a great experience, being able to talk to teams, being able to see personnel. Seeing head coaches seated, personnel out there while you practice, that’s something that I’m always gonna remember you.
JI: How do you like to spend your free time outside of football?
JE: it’s tough because you put so much into [football], but I always say I like doing things that you know I deprive myself from doing throughout the week. Maybe that’s watching a TV show or movie that may come on, just based on time management and doing the right things. I might wait until after the game or when I get some downtime, but spending time with family and friends when I can, honestly, being outside as far as like sitting on the balcony, listening to music.
JI: What’s the last movie you watched or the last show you binged?
JE: So the crazy thing about it is a show called Bar Rescue. It first started with me just watching the clips on YouTube, seeing the grossest place that [Jon Taffer] visited and stuff like that, but then it got me going to Paramount to actually watch a full episode, so I’ll just say that’s a show I’ve been watching. Of course, I got shows that continuously watch like BMF, Raising Kanan, anything from that Power-type universe, but that’s what I’ve been watching.
JI: Let’s say I’m an NFL general manager. What would I be getting if I drafted you to my team?
JE: You’ll get a hard worker, somebody that never gonna take no for an answer, always gonna work put his head down. I always say the proof is in the pudding, and you look at my career, and then look at the things the things that I overcame, I still kept my head up and never made excuses, never looked for a handout. I never looked at myself as, “why is this happening to me?” [I’m] somebody that’s always been working, somebody that loves the game of football; I’ve been playing since the age of five. You’ll get a guy who’s always gonna know what to do, always wants to be professional. You’re never gonna have to wonder if this guy’s working and never got to worry if this guy knows his stuff. I’m always gonna know where to be, how to do it, and I’ll always want to do that and give it 100%.
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