Analysis: Why Vyper Ovie Oghoufo Will Flourish In 2020

When safety Houston Griffith went home over spring break to train at Win Performance in Highland Park, Ill., just outside of Chicago, he brought a fellow defensive teammate with him from the Detriot area: Ovie Oghoufo.

The 6-3 vyper (drop defensive end) is a rising junior that, due to the season-ending injuries Daelin Hayes and Julian Okwara suffered, surged up the depth chart and into the two-deep by the end of 2019.

After not seeing the field at all as a freshman, Oghoufo appeared in eight games in 2019 and played 118 snaps, 93 of which came in the final three regular-season contests and the bowl game.

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As a former linebacker and the Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year in 2018, Oghoufo has shown flashes of next-level speed and agility that should allow him to develop into a terror off the edge, who gives opposing quarterbacks nightmares.

Currently, he projects as the backup vyper behind fifth-year senior Daelin Hayes. In the first (and only) spring practice, Oghoufo went out with the first team in 11-on-11 but lined up with the second team in non-contact drills, which Hayes could participate in while he was still recovering from a torn labrum.

“He’s a super explosive kid based on watching his first step. He’s soft-spoken and excited,” said Kerry Neal, a former Notre Dame linebacker and the CEO of Win Performance. “You can tell he loves working out. He was really into it. It was great having him at the gym. He made the gym better. Just having him around with the energy he brought. It was great.

“He’s going to have a great season this year if we can get back to football and get over this crazy virus.”

In 2019, Oghoufo record 12 tackles, one sack, four run stops, one pass broken up and three QB hurries.

Pro Football Focus gave him an above-average defensive grade for the season and he performed particularly well against the run. His PFF grade of 80 is was the fourth-highest run defense grade on the team behind Howard Cross, TaRiq Bracy and Asmar Bilal.

His best game of the season came against Navy. Oghoufo played a season-high 38 snaps against the Midshipmen and produced three tackles, half of a sack, a pass deflection and two quarterback hurries.

His early success against the run is a promising sign.

As a recently converted linebacker, he still needs to bulk up, so showing he has the toughness, discipline and technique to compete against much bigger offensive linemen should allow him to flourish once his body develops a bit more.