Malik Agbo, a 6-foot-6, 330 pound, size 19 shoe-wearing lineman, nears college decision
Some time ago, Todd Beamer football coach Matt Leamer went to buy food at the Popeye’s across the street from the school for some hungry high school athletes. He made sure to buy extra for Malik Agbo.
“He ate as much food as my entire family,” Leamer said, laughing. “It was nothing for him.”
It’s worth wondering what grocery trips look like for the parents of the 17-year-old Agbo, a 6-foot-6, 330-pound lineman who wears size 19 shoes. Yes, 19. For reference, Shaquille O’Neal wears size 22 shoes. Kevin Durant and Yao Ming wear size 18.
Spend any time around Agbo, and you won’t walk away intimidated. You’ll probably feel like his best friend, thanks to his bubbly, energetic personality and warm smile. It’s an infectious personality that makes everyone around him feel at ease.
“He’s a gentle giant,” Leamer said.
Agbo greets Leamer’s 9-year-old son with a special handshake at practice. During summer workouts, he knew the name of every freshman on the team by the second day. And he’s always smiling.
“In four years of knowing him, he’s never had a bad day,” Leamer said. “Not one. He’s never come in grumpy, not wanting to work. He always has the biggest smile on his face. He makes everyone feel like a million bucks. He’s gravitated to by everyone.”
Todd Beamer hasn’t been a dominant football program during Agbo’s career. The school’s only state tournament appearance came in 2014, when the Titans lost in the first round to Gonzaga Prep. But the temptation to transfer to a private school or another program never swayed Agbo, who was a prized recruit since he stepped on campus.
“Coming in as a freshman and getting interviewed from the get-go and having the team around me and everything, from the older guys to when I was a freshman, pushing me to my limits,” he said. “I feel like it’s been really good to see where I’m at now and where the team is at now. We’re ready for anything and everything.”
That kind of loyalty is rare, Leamer thinks. It’s also part of what makes Agbo a special player and person.
“So many schools were all over him,” he said. “He could have gone anywhere. He chose to stay home and be a pillar in that community and for our kids. … He treats everybody the same. You just don’t see that from kids that are getting looked at at that level.
“That’s why he’s so big for our school and our community. He tells kids, ‘You can do it here, you can get scholarships playing here.’ He’s that kid.”
Agbo is considered a four-star recruit by 247sports.com, the 25th ranked offensive tackle nationally and the sixth-rated prospect in Washington in the 2022 class. He holds 24 offers from some of the top college football programs in the country. He’s considering LSU, Miami, Arizona State, Florida and Oklahoma.
Agbo said he’s planning to announce his commitment at Todd Beamer some time in December, in front of teammates and family.
“Choosing the hat — original and all that stuff,” Agbo said, laughing.
None of the schools in Agbo’s top five are particularly close to home. Only one, Arizona State, is in the Pac-12.
“Distance isn’t the problem, distance isn’t the reason I’m going out of state,” he said. “It’s wherever I’m going to feel like I’m going to succeed the most on and off the field, where I can play to the best of my abilities for whatever school.”
Agbo is waiting until deep into the recruiting process to make his decision. That’s because the coronavirus pandemic halted official visits and opportunities for recruits to get on campus. He still has visits to LSU, Arizona State and Florida coming this fall.
“I’ve got a way better understanding compared to the Zoom meetings and all that stuff, now that the NCAA finally lets us go out and go visit in the appropriate time periods and all that stuff,” Agbo said. “I feel like I have a lot better understanding of where I want to go, who fits me, can I live here for three to four years and all that stuff.
“I feel like (getting on campuses) was really important. I’m a person, I have to see and feel in order to know something. That’s why it’s taken a little bit longer for me to commit and that’s why I’m committing in December.”
Todd Beamer opens the season against Thomas Jefferson at Federal Way Memorial Field on Sept. 3 at 7 p.m.
This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
