Football
- Title:
- Director of Recruiting
- Hometown:
- Detroit, Mich.
- Year at Mizzou:
- 4th Season
- Alma Mater:
- Mizzou, 2001
- Email:
- ofodilea@missouri.edu
In his first year as an assistant with his alma mater, Assistant Coach A.J. Ofodile transitioned nicely in 2018 into his new coaching duties guiding a very productive corps of wide receivers who played a crucial part in Mizzou's eight-win season and berth in the 2018 AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Ofodile, who was an all-conference tight end at Mizzou and a six-year NFL veteran, will shift over to coach the Tiger tight ends in 2019.
Eight different wide receivers caught multiple passes under Ofodile's guidance in 2018, and that group accounted for 170 receptions for 2,624 yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging a healthy 15.4 yards per reception in 13 games. Ofodile did a masterful job of navigating injuries throughout the course of the year, as his group opened the 2018 season expecting to be a veteran-led unit, only to have starting seniors Emanuel Hall and Nate Brown and junior Richaud Floyd miss 18 games combined due to injury. Those losses made for a big challenge, but the development of youngsters such as true freshmen Jalen Knox (27 catches, 419 yards, three touchdowns), Dominic Gicinto (15-171, 2 TDs), Kam Scott (8-214, 2 TDs) and Barrett Banister (8-88) gave hope that the future is indeed bright at the wideout spot.
When healthy, Hall showed that he's still one of the nation's most dangerous receiving threats. Despite playing just nine games, Hall earned second-team All-SEC honors from league coaches after catching 37 passes for 828 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 22.4 yards per reception. He was also named first-team All-SEC by Pro Football Focus. Junior slot receiver Johnathon Johnson turned in a career-high and team-best 59 receptions, while racking up 737 yards and five scores on the year. Johnson closed the season in explosive fashion, as he caught nine passes for a career-best 185 yards and one touchdown while playing his hometown of Memphis, Tenn. in the 2018 AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
Head Coach Barry Odom promoted Ofodile (owe-FAH-delay) to the position of assistant coach in January of 2018. Ofodile, who served during the 2016-17 seasons on Odom’s staff in the crucial role of director of recruiting operations, shifted to an on-field coaching role with the Tiger wide receivers as the program’s 10th assistant.
“A.J. has been a very vital member of our staff the past two years,” said Odom. “I’ve leaned on his input in a lot of areas, and he’s constantly made our program better. He’s a loyal guy who cares about our kids and making Mizzou the best it can be. I’m excited to have him on board with our coaching staff, and am looking forward to how he can help us improve. His career as a player at the college and NFL levels will be very valuable as well as his previous coaching experience. The past two years overseeing our recruiting department has provided great results for us on the field, and he will certainly continue those efforts in his new role,” he said.
The two recruiting cycles under Ofodile's direction produced outstanding results for Mizzou. The class of 2018 ranked 39th nationally according to Rivals.com, and produced 11 different true freshmen who provided immediate impact for the team throughout the course of the season. Prior to that, the 2017 class ranked 49th nationally according to Rivals.com, but immediately paid big dividends with several instant-impact performers who helped Mizzou to a seven-win season and first bowl game since 2014 in 2017. Fifteen members of the 25-man 2017 class saw the field in their first year with the program, including four who started during the course of the season, including DT Rashad Brandon, OL Yasir Durant, DB Adam Sparks and DB Jordan Ulmer.
“I’m very excited for the opportunity to continue to contribute to the success and growth of this program,” said Ofodile. We have outstanding young men who believe in Coach Odom’s vision for their program and it is exciting to have the opportunity to work with our kids more directly going forward. The future of Mizzou Football is very bright and I’m excited to take on a new role and contribute to its success wherever I’m asked.”
Ofodile, 45, joined Odom’s staff at MU in May of 2016, following a successful stint as head football coach at Columbia’s Rock Bridge High School, from 2003-2015. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach and offensive coordinator for Odom at Rock Bridge during Odom’s head coaching stint there from 2001-02. After Odom joined Mizzou’s coaching staff prior to the 2003 season, Ofodile took over as head coach. In 2013, his Bruins were state runners up, reaching the state championship game for the first time since 1993.
A first-team All-Big Eight selection as a tight end in 1993 for Mizzou, Ofodile was a three-year letterwinner (1991-93), and finished his Tiger career with 73 receptions for 851 yards and six touchdowns. After an outstanding 1993 season which included 55 catches for 589 yards and four scores, he was drafted in the fifth round of the 1994 NFL Draft by Buffalo, and went on to spend six years in the league with Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Baltimore through 1999.
A Detroit, Mich., native, Ofodile earned his bachelor’s degree in General Studies from Mizzou in August of 2001. His family includes wife Dianna, daughter Jasmyn and son Alex. Alex joined the Mizzou team as a wide receiver for the 2018 season, after transferring from Oregon.
THE OFODILE FILE
COACHING EXPERIENCE
2018-present - Mizzou - Wide Receivers
2016-17 - Mizzou - Recruiting Coordinator
2003-15 - Rock Bridge High School (Columbia, Mo.) - Head Coach
2001-02 - Rock Bridge High School (Columbia, Mo.) - Assistant Coach/Offensive Coordinator
