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Elo Modozie

(Click on the above link for his official Purdue Bio)

Bio

Position: Defensive End / Edge

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 250

Hometown: St. Augustine, Florida

High School: Bartram Trail High School (St. Johns, Fl)

Recruiting Class: 2023

Former Team(s): Army (2023-2024), Georgia (2025)

Eligibility Remaining: 1 under the current system, 2 under the proposed 5-year system

High School Recruiting Rankings: NR

Transfer Portal Rankings:  3*(90.55) – National Rank: 145 – Edge Rusher: 17

High School

• 2-way player, lined up at wide receiver and linebacker
• Played the majority of snaps at linebacker as a senior
• Senior Stats: 53 Tackles – 1 Tackle for Loss – 1 Sack
• Better High School Track and Field Resume than Football Resume
• 2nd Team All-Area as a senior
• Two-Time all-state long jumper
• All-State Tripple Jumper

High School Highlights

College Career

2023 – Army – Freshman

• Appeared in 11 games
• Stats: Tackles: 9 – Sack(s): 1

2024 – Army – Sophomore

• Started 14 games
• Stats: Tackles: 34 – Tackles for Loss: 8 – Sacks 6.5
• Blocked 2 kicks
• American Athletic Conference Third Team

2025 – Georgia – Junior

• Ranked as the top transfer linebacker in the portal
• Appeared in 12 games
• Stats: Tackles: 7 – Tackles for Loss: .5

College Highlights / Film / Interviews

2026 – Season Outlook

Starter / Key Contributor

Thoughts

Barry Odom landed the Purdue job, in part, because of what he did with bounce-back high-level recruits at UNLV. Elo fits that template. In 2024, he was considered a 4-star transfer, the best linebacker, and the 40th-best overall player in the portal when he signed with Georgia. As you can see from the two videos above, the Bulldogs were excited to see what he could do as an edge rusher.

Turns out, it wasn’t much.

The talent level on the Georgia defensive line is insanely high, and Elo couldn’t crack the rotation. At the same time, when Georgia needed him the most, he showed up, playing his best game in the Bulldogs CFB Quarterfinal loss to Ole Miss, recording 3 tackles.

If he had signed with Purdue out of the portal in 2024, rather than Georgia, he would have been far and away Purdue’s highest-rated portal pickup, and I don’t see a world where he doesn’t play significantly more football. Physically, he’s the same, quick-twitch, long-armed athlete who signed with the Bulldogs. This is one of those deals where he wouldn’t be at Purdue if he met expectations at Georgia. I like his Army film. If that’s the player headed to West Lafayette, Odom landed a difference maker at a premium position at a discount.

He’s known for his ability to get after the quarterback, but I can’t help but see his 6’5” frame and think that he might be able to keep linemen off him and actually set an edge for Purdue’s run defense. On too many occasions last season, the defense ended up being outflanked on the perimeter when the defensive end either got sucked inside or couldn’t get off a block to set the edge. The goal of any run defense is to push things back inside and not let the other team get to the perimeter. When you turn a play back inside, the linebackers tend to show up; when you lose the edge, you end up with safeties and corners trying to make tackles. One way to improve tackling is to change the guys making the tackles. Modozie has the prototypical frame, and the fact that he started as a walk-on at Army seems to speak to his work ethic. This is a guy who should be good, and a guy Purdue needs to be good. When you talk about players with the potential to be a difference maker on the defense, Elo is at the top of the list. He’s shown the ability to turn potential into production at Army; Purdue desperately needs him to show that again this season.

As an added bonus, depending on how things play out in terms of NCAA eligibility, Elo, in theory, could run it back for a second season at Purdue. That makes him even more valuable to the Boilermakers. Best-case scenario, Modozie takes over the edge rushing position for the next two seasons and helps turn around Purdue’s defense.

Will it happen?

Who knows, but I sure hope so.

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