ASU Football: OL Ezra Dotson-Oyetade’s Versatility and Motivation Separate him from Other Recruits
Perhaps seeing a 6-foot-3, 300-pound offensive lineman doing ladder drills with wide receivers is an odd sight. But, not only does Lakeview Centennial High School (Texas) center Ezra Dotson-Oyetade join the skill players, he keeps up with them, according to his assistant coach Anthony Saincilaire.
Dotson-Oyetade is the newest Arizona State Sun Devil recruit for the 2021 class, as he announced via Twitter on Monday. He picked ASU over Missouri, Vanderbilt, Florida State and Virginia.
His speed for his size is a standout, but as Saincilaire said, Dotson-Oyetade is an overall exceptional athlete.
Dotson-Oyetade played basketball for his high school and AAU, and he said that he wasn't going to be lagging behind on the court.
"I believe [basketball] has a lot to do with my footwork and helping me move because, on the basketball court, you can't be slow," Dotson-Oyetade said. "I played AAU, and there's a lot of big, fast and quick dudes so you cannot be the slow one. That helped me a lot to have quicker feet and really be able to move."
He even has a video on his Twitter of him dunking.
Part-2 ‼️ pic.twitter.com/GHD21bpHOf
— Ezra (Dotson)-Oyetade (@ezraoyetade) June 18, 2020
He recently put down the basketball shoes for a discus and shotput, joining track and field.
Saincilaire said that this has not only helped him physically, as it is another sport building new muscles but mentally as well.
"At the center position, I think the mental part goes hand in hand," Saincilaire said. "You are in that ring by yourself. You prepare differently. He started from the ground up throwing, watching him start and learn, I think that helped him with his mental preparation. Doing that and playing center, he understands the importance of being calm and collected. It taught him how to handle tense situations."
On the football field, Dotson-Oyetade has grown into one of the nation's top centers for his class, with 247Sports ranking him number one at four-stars.
On film, Dotson-Oyetade appears to have the size to overpower anyone ahead of him, and the speed to break out of his stance and lead running backs down the field.
Fellow LCHS offensive lineman Rickey Smallwood said that Dotson-Oyetade moves better than some of the team's skill players.
But physicality is not all that Dotson-Oyetade brings to his team.
Smallwood said that Dotson-Oyetade shares a positive energy with everyone on and off the field. Saincilaire called him a vocal leader, someone who encourages his teammates but isn't afraid to lead by example.
"If coach says to clear the field, he doesn't say 'hey young guys clean the field'," Saincilaire said. "He'll do it first."
His will to improve himself and his peers perhaps stems from his long-lasting love for the game. Saincilaire said that whenever he calls Dotson-Oyetade, the center always seems to be at the field playing seven-on-seven or training.
Dotson-Oyetade said he's played football since he was three years old. His mom is a very hard worker and has set an example for him. He has strived to reciprocate that work ethic on the field.
She is a major motivation for him.
"I've seen my mom struggle, and I've seen her never give up, and I've seen my mom get us out of very difficult situations," Dotson-Oyetade said. "That's motivation for me to make it for the both of us."
She sits at the 10-yard line at all of his games, and he gives her a thumbs up before the opening kick.
Following her lead has led to his opportunity to play division one football at ASU.
He has a goal to fit into the Sun Devils offense, but also appreciated how ASU's recruiters talked to him about life aside from football. He felt that Tempe was the best place to continue to grow as a player and person.
