The Next Chapter: Azeez Ojulari

Marietta (Ga.) 2018 defensive end Azeez Ojulari held more than three dozen scholarship offers before announcing his decision Thursday. He shares the story behind the commitment here:

I started playing football at the age of 9. I played for the Marietta Blue Eagles. I didn’t know anything about football when I stared playing — it was a brand-new sport to me. I used to always play soccer; that was my sport when I was younger.

It's crazy because some of my teammates back then on my recreation league team are still my teammates now. It's just a blessing that I can call them boys my brothers.

I played outside linebacker and running back when I was little. I love the game of football and I play with passion every time I step on the field. I am really just excited that all my hard work is paying off.

I want to thank God for everything He has done for me. I also want to thank my parents and coaches for pushing me every day to do my best in the classroom and on the football field.

As I was going to camps this summer and showcasing my ability, my recruitment picked up a lot and I blew up. I knew to just keep working hard and stay humble while I was going through the process.

It was a very hard decision to make because you can't really go wrong with any of the schools that I was really focusing on. They are all great schools. It was a fun process and I've built so many relationships with different coaches. I enjoyed it all.

When it came down to the decision, me and my family sat down at the table and discussed everything to make sure it was the right school for me. The last schools that we discussed were Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. I chose a school that if football was out of the picture I will still be able to go there and enjoy it, while getting a good degree at the same time. I felt comfortable when I was on campus. The atmosphere is great, they have great academics and I will be surrounded by great people.

For the next four years of my life, I will be between the hedges at the University of Georgia.