After former associate head coach Biff Poggi officially announced that the No. 18 Michigan football team would have three opt outs for the Citrus Bowl, senior edge rushers Derrick Moore and Jaishawn Barham declared for the NFL Draft before the game. The third and final opt out, graduate offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi, had not made anything official.
Now, four days after the Wolverines’ bowl game loss to Texas, El-Hadi officially declared for the NFL Draft via Instagram on Sunday.
El-Hadi spent all five seasons of his collegiate career with Michigan, seeing the field in only one game his freshman year before playing in every game his sophomore year on special teams. His junior year, El-Hadi became a rotational player on the offensive line for the Wolverines’ national-chapionship winning season, playing 11 games at offensive line and 12 on special teams but without a start.
It wasn’t until his senior year that El-Hadi made his first career start and became an every-day starter on the offensive line, where he then earned an All-Big Ten honorable mention nod. El-Hadi was named a captain for his graduate year this season, but was sidelined for three games due to injury. He once again earned All-Big Ten honors this year despite injury.
Although El-Hadi didn’t see the field right away, he stayed the course and developed into a leader among a young offensive line core the last two seasons. Even though he doesn’t have any eligibility remaining, he leaves behind an offensive line room that’s young and had to step up for him when he went down with injury.
