Cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu will remain at Oregon for his senior season, the school announced Monday.
Ekpre-Olomu (5-foot-10, 195 pounds) was second on the team with 84 tackles this season, and also had three interceptions and six pass breakups. While he played well, conventional wisdom is that he underachieved a bit relative to his talent level. He went into the season battling Ohio State junior Bradley Roby for the "No. 1 cornerback" moniker, but neither lived up to expectations. Roby has decided to turn pro.
Ekpre-Olumu is one of the more aggressive corners in the nation, but NFL refs might not let him get away with some of the jostling he isn't penalized for in the Pac-12. His aggressiveness also can lead to him biting unnecessarily on fakes.
A positive aspect is his physical play; he is willing in run support and he can lay the lumber, as evidenced by his seven career forced fumbles. He also runs well and has the ability to be a big-time shutdown corner.
He should head into the 2014 season as one of the nation's top two or three corners, then could solidify a first-round selection with a strong senior season.
Sophomore quarterback Marcus Mariota and junior center Hroniss Grasu previously had announced they were remaining in school. Two other Ducks, running back De'Anthony Thomas and cornerback Terrance Mitchell, are leaving early.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
