Ayo Adeyi Rebuilt His Identity After Overcoming Multiple Injuries at JMU

STILLWATER — James Madison transfer Ayo Adeyi was borderline unstoppable the last time he played for Eric Morris.

In 2023, Adeyi was the Mean Green’s top back, rushing for 1,017 yards and averaging 7.1 yards per carry, which ranked eighth in the nation among backs with at least 50 attempts that season, according to Pro Football Focus.

All of that success ran out when Adeyi suffered a turf toe injury in the second quarter of the second game of 2024. It required surgery, and that was the end of Adeyi’s first season at JMU.

“Missing the whole season is like, you kind of go your whole life (with your) identity being an athlete, and then throughout college being a football player,” Adeyi said. “So having that stripped from me was really tough.”

The back estimates he missed maybe two games ever leading up to that injury across his first three seasons of college and his entire high school career. Facing life on the sidelines was difficult.

“My mom (Taiwo Adeyi) came out actually and stayed with me for like that week,” he said. “I’m a man of faith, and so having her there really kind of grounded me, you know, doing Bible study every night kind of helped me just see life. It’s a lot bigger than football, but yeah, it was really tough.”

During the last two years, Adeyi rebuilt his foundation to include not just football but family, friends and even hobbies like going to the movies to watch superhero films.

This was helpful considering he had yet another setback on the football field last season. According to Pro Football Focus, Adeyi played 35 snaps spread out over weeks 1, 2 and 4 of last season. He then played three in week six and didn’t take the field as an offensive player again until the College Football Playoff game against Oregon.

“We play running back, and so going through a whole year taking no hits coming back the next year, and you’re just playing a lot,” Adeyi said. “Like I think this past year, I think it was like Week 4. My body just wasn’t really used to that big game I had in Week 3, and so at practice, the last play is just my hamstring snapped.”

It’s safe to say Adeyi placed a huge emphasis on rehab during the offseason.

It also sounds like the decision to become a Cowboy was relatively easy for him.

“To be honest with you, just the success I had with this staff at UNT,” Adeyi said when asked what brought him to Stillwater. “It was just for me, a no-brainer to get back with this staff. I know how explosive the offense can be, so I was excited to come back.”

That familiarity could help him earn significant snaps this fall.

Morris made it clear on Saturday that he would like to reduce the workload on starting running back Caleb Hawkins. Assuming he can stay healthy, something Morris hinted at almost challenge-like, Adeyi would be a favorite on paper to emerge as the No. 2 back.

“Obviously, Ayo Adeyi, who’s been in our program at North Texas a couple years ago and is familiar with this offense,” offensive coordinator Sean Brophy said while addressing the team’s depth at the position. “He’s a guy that’s gonna be able to come in and be really productive for us, and you can count on.”

Adeyi was asked on Saturday about what he needs to do to prove he can be the complementary back behind Hawkins.

“I think it just starts with consistency in practice,” he said. “You know, just showing up every single day. So that’s what I’m trying to do every single day. Starting from spring ball to fall camp. Now, just I want to be that relief in any way I can to ultimately help us to win the game.”

Morris has had a lot of success both with and without Adeyi in recent years. The reunited running back made it clear that both he and the team have high hopes for the start of this new era in Stillwater.

“Seeing what they did last year was like really impressive, really cool,” Adeyi said. “So I think we’re not looking at it as like a starting from the ground zero (this year). I feel like everyone’s here to get to work starting from game one, and so the expectation is simple, just win. However that looks, just win.”