Washington Huskies linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio is among the most athletic defensive prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. Ulofoshio leaped the highest vertical (39.5 inches) and broad (10-foot-8) jumps among all participating linebackers at the NFL Combine. It was a testament to a pre-draft training process he laid out in this interview.
Ulofoshio's maturity and natural leadership helped change the culture at Washington. The program wasn't in terrific standing when he arrived. It was vocal leaders like Ulofoshio who committed to changing the culture, leading Washington to the National Championship Game in 2023.
Ulofoshio recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network about his eye-opening NFL Combine performance, being wowed by Michael Penix Jr., which of his teammates he'd bring to war with him, which teams are showing interest in his services, and more.
JM: You've been training with the Excel Sports performance team, Curt Truhe and Sazi Guthrie, throughout this process. How have they made you a better athlete?
Edefuan Ulofoshio: They’ve been fantastic. I can talk about Curt and Sazi for hours (laughs). Their entire staff has been so critical to my development over these past few months. They’ve been so good to me, Troy [Fautanu], Roger [Rosengarten], and the rest of us training down there in Irvine, California.
One of the things you worry about going into the process is how many more reps can you do on a bench press. How much faster can your 40 get? Those questions were especially present for us Washington prospects training down there because our season ended so late. We played in the National Championship Game.
We had the smallest time frame of any prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft to maximize our training. Thankfully Curt, Sazi, and their team had such a dialed-up plan for us. We trusted their process.
They worked wonders with us. All of us PR’d [set personal records] in every single category. I’m talking about the vertical jump, our 40, bench press, and so on. We were so prepared for the NFL Combine. It was actually insane.
I’m forever indebted to Curt and Sazi. They got us right throughout the process. And from a technical standpoint as well, we felt like they were the best of the best. We’d ask Sazi questions about running form and technique and he knows every little thing to help us get the fastest time.
Curt helped me build so much upper-body strength. That whole team is awesome. They did a fantastic job for all of us.
JM: We love hearing that. What an excellent performance you put forth at the NFL Combine as a result of that training. You ran an outstanding 40 (4.56). You also leaped a 39.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-8 broad. How would you grade your overall performance? It sounds like you were very pleased.
Edefuan Ulofoshio: It was one of those things where I knew exactly what I was going to do about one week, a week-and-a-half before the combine. I didn’t make a stink about it. I knew I was going to surprise the world with my numbers.
Going back to the training, I was physically and mentally present for every moment. Curt and Sazi also got me ready for the mental aspect of the combine. It went beyond the physical stuff. I was dialed in.
I’m sure there have been a lot of fast guys that ran a slow 40 because they got performance anxiety. They did a fantastic job getting me mentally prepared as well. It’s tough for me to be critical of my performance when you have the highest jumps and a top 10 time in the 40.
It was definitely a really good day for me.
JM: It sure was. You arrived at Washington in 2018 and played for a few different coaches. Everything changed under Kalen DeBoer in 2022. The program advanced to the National Championship in 2023. How did you see the culture change throughout your time? I feel like you played a big role in righting the ship.
Edefuan Ulofoshio: I think the biggest thing was holding each other accountable. In some locker rooms, people are worried about themselves first and see everything else as a bonus. We weren’t like that.
The new staff did a great job challenging us to be at our best. We pushed ourselves to the limit. We wanted to see everyone achieve personal best results. Once I embraced that, it allowed me to become a more vocal leader.
I felt that responsibility. Just because I’m a good football player doesn’t mean that you don’t have to push and demand more from your teammates. It definitely led to some uncomfortable conversations with my teammates, but it was all for the greater good.
We got the best out of each other at the end of the day. That was the difference. When things got hard for us throughout the 2023 season, we knew we could rely on each other to make one more play.
It was all about buying into the new coaching staff. The results showed.
JM: They sure did. You recorded career highs in tackles (94), tackles for loss (8), sacks (3), and pass breakups (4) this season. What is it about your game that allows you to always make plays around the ball?
Edefuan Ulofoshio: It came down to studying the tape. I’m a savant of the game. I love studying not only my playbook and our scheme but also the best players that play my position.
I study the upper-echelon linebackers and defenses every single offseason. I pay attention to what makes them great. I look at what things are difficult to defend. I try to stay a step ahead of those things.
When you do that, you have answers to how you’re going to stop certain things when gameday arrives. It’s a lot better than figuring out things on the fly. I’m studying the top linebackers right now as we speak as I go through this pre-draft process.
The game is always evolving and changing. You have to find new things that work. Offenses are always playing around with new techniques. We have to adjust and adapt on the fly. The sooner you can identify things, the better chance you have to defend them.
For example, there was this one play against Texas where they ran this play I identified while watching some San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks tape. Texas tried running it against us in the first quarter.
I had seen that play all offseason long. I knew what their main target was. That’s an example of me being able to recall those things.
JM: So is your film study what led to the uptick in production? Those were career-high numbers in every category.
Edefuan Ulofoshio: It’s a combination of everything. You also don’t want to study too much and start playing robotic, if that makes sense. You have to be instinctual as well. It’s about striking the right balance so the two complement each other.
I always knew I was a great athlete, but if you can be one step ahead, it gives you a whole other advantage. It made me a more complete football player. I paired my athleticism with my football IQ. I’m always challenging myself to be the smartest player on the field.
JM: Combining the two makes total sense. You had so many amazing teammates at Washington, but I'm going to put you on the spot. If you were going to war tomorrow and could only bring one with you, who would you bring and why?
Edefuan Ulofoshio: Oh my gosh (laughs). How are you going to ask me that?!?
That’s tough. On the team right now? Man, I’ve had so many amazing teammates. Ok, I’ll tell you what. I have to pick one player on offense and one player on defense. You can’t do this to me (laughs).
JM: I’ll allow it (laughs).
Edefuan Ulofoshio: I’ll take our left-handed quarterback [Michael Penix Jr.] for sure. I remember seeing him for the first time on tape while I was injured. I was watching tape from our spring ball. He made this throw on a dime. He zipped it from the hash to the opposite sideline.
I said who made that pass in our meeting room?!? It was Michael Penix Jr. I looked around and told my teammates, “Hey, nobody touch that guy for the rest of spring ball” (laughs). I knew he was going to be a very special player for us.
That’s what he did for us. He elevated the offense. Any team would be extremely lucky to draft Michael Penix Jr. in the 2024 NFL Draft.
It’s tough for me to choose somebody from the defense because I had great mentors like Levi Onwuzurike and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. I’d probably take Kyler Gordon. He’s with the Chicago Bears now. He’s already having a great NFL career.
I’d take Carson Bruener with me as well. I know I can always rely on those players. Those were probably the best of the best. I know exactly what I’m going to get from those guys on a daily basis.
JM: They sound like some outstanding teammates. Do you have any team meetings scheduled? What's the process been like meeting with these teams?
Edefuan Ulofoshio: I’ve met with a bunch of teams throughout this process. I had a formal at the combine with Dallas. I met with Buffalo, Cleveland, and Vegas as well. I met with the Giants before Pro Day as well.
JM: There’s a lot of interest in you and it’s easy to see why. We've appreciated your time today. What kind of impact is Edefuan Ulofoshio going to make at the next level?
Edefuan Ulofoshio: I’m trying to be the best linebacker I can be. I want to be a part of a winning culture. I want to be a reason why our team can win a bunch of games. Whether I’m playing special teams, or I’m leading the defense, I’m always going to try and generate the biggest impact possible.
