In transfer Arnold Ebiketie, DL specialist sees potential difference-maker
When defensive line and edge rush specialist Eddy McGilvra looks at Arnold Ebiketie, he sees a well of athleticism and talent that has only been partially tapped.
McGilvra molds defensive linemen for a living. He hosts over two dozen NFL players in Southern California every offseason and trains some of the draft prospects each winter as well. Shareef Miller, Odafe Oweh and Jesse Luketa have all sought out McGilvra's tutelage previously, and Luketa introduced McGilvra to Ebiketie, who made an impression quickly.
"He's so raw and athletic, and he really hasn't been taught anything as far as pass rushing goes — edge play," McGilvra said. "So when I got my hands on him, I was like, 'Wow, this is actually a potential top-100 pick, one of the top edge guys in my opinion that I've been with in that class.'"
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Ebiketie traveled to Southern California to work out with McGilvra following the completion of his first spring at Penn State, having transferred to Happy Valley after playing four seasons at Temple.
A session with McGilvra is relatively straightforward and can last anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. His clients begin with a warmup, followed by specialized movement training. When that's done, the focus narrows, and McGilvra and his clients begin work on the intricacies of pass rushing.
"We'll pick our rushes for the day that we break down, from the top of the rush to a three-point stance, and then we'll put all the rushes together and make sure he's repping it," McGilvra said. "It's all filmed and recorded on the tripod, so what we'll do is get a bunch of reps, and then we'll go back through, pull the iPhone out, and go look at the reps and slow it down just like we were watching film.
"We break it down in details and see, hey, where could we have done better here? If we want to go polish up those type of reps we will, if not, we'll just go back and move on to the next type of rush."
Penn State listed Ebiketie at 6-foot-3, 238 pounds when he first arrived on campus, but McGilvra says he’s hovering between 245 and 250 pounds now.
That was a target for Dwight Galt and Penn State's strength and conditioning team this winter. Even in March, it was clear to Galt that the Nittany Lions had a special athlete on their hands, and one that could turn into something more if given the right instruction and guidance.
"He's blossoming big time with the type of training that we have," Galt said then.
Combine that size with Ebiketie's length, and what McGilvra called a "natural bend" in his get-off at the line of scrimmage, and you've got an intriguing NFL prospect, and, as far as Penn State fans are concerned, a potential difference-maker in 2021.
Now, McGilvra is working to provide Ebiketie with the tools he needs to turn those assets loose on opposing quarterbacks.
"It's polishing all of the other staff, as far as his hand placement, where his feet are supposed to go off of his get-off to make his move, counters off of power rushes, counters off of long-arm bull rushes, some speed rushes, where his eyes transition to off his get-off to the end of his rush," McGilvra said. "There's just so many details that go into having a complete pass-rush game."
Ebiketie is a quick learner, McGilvra said, and has the attitude necessary to absorb information with an open mind and put it to use.
From the day the two first met, Ebiketie was laughing and cracking jokes — an active participant in creating a relationship that McGilvra said makes his job much easier. Similarly, Ebiketie had no problem endearing himself to his new teammates and coaches, and assimilating into Penn State's culture.
"AK has done a great job blending in with the culture here, blending in with the defensive line room," Penn State defensive line coach John Scott Jr. said this spring. "He's a quiet guy and you might not hear him say anything but, man, I tell you what, does he come to work. He comes to work every single day with his smile. He works his butt off, and he's super athletic and super talented."
Ebiketie's final season at Temple was productive enough. He sacked the quarterback four times in six games, making him one of the more prolific pass rushers in the American Athletic Conference.
But Ebiketie came to the Nittany Lions with the knowledge that there was more within him.
"I feel like I have so much more, so much development," he told BWI in December, shortly after his commitment. "Next year, I just want to be the best version of myself."
McGilvra thinks Penn State will help him do that.
"I think going to Penn State, and playing around some guys with his type of talent, and playing against highly talented offensive linemen, getting to showcase that every Saturday, I think he's going to shoot up a lot of the draft boards really quickly," McGilvra said.
"I don't think a lot of people understand how good he is."
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