NC State coach Dave Doeren was beaming with pride when he heard the news that former left tackle Ikem Ekwonu was projected as a possible No. 1 overall pick.
ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. came out with that projection Tuesday for the 6-foot-4, 320-pounder from Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day. Doeren and offensive line coach John Garrison have done a terrific job in coaching the former Rivals.com three-star prospect.
Ekwonu won the 2021 Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the ACC’s top blocker and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy. He was named an All-American and first-team All-ACC.
He started 31 of 36 games he played in at NC State and had 154 pancakes, 47 knockdown blocks and allowed 11 sacks in 2,285 plays.
“I have great respect for him,” Doeren said. “He is a guy that knows the draft as well as anybody. To pick him as the first overall is a great honor. I know the combine and pro day and interviews will take part of this and can shake things up. Ickey deserves all the recognition he’s getting.”
Ekwonu would join former NC State center Garrett Bradbury as recent first-round picks from the offensive line. Former right tackle Will Richardson also went in the fourth round in 2018.
“He’s a tremendous football player and a tremendous human being,” Doeren said. “I remember the first time he walked into that building [Murphy Center] with his dad and seeing him. I remember seeing him play live in a game [in high school].”
NC State opened up spring practice Wednesday, with senior Bryson Speas getting the opportunity at left tackle. It was different without No. 79 around.
“I will miss him, not having him on the field,” Doeren said. “He’s a guy that changes the temperature in the room. He has tremendous energy.”
NC State redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary will also miss him. He isn’t sure what position that Ekwonu will project at in the NFL, but he’s confident that he’d do well at left tackle. If he went No. 1 overall, he’d be blocking for former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Leary said he’d tell his future quarterback “You are welcome.”
“He’s a first-class teammate,” Leary said. “Wherever they put him on the offensive line, that is the thing about Ickey, he’ll do whatever the coach asks him to do — guard, tackle, center. He’ll do the best he can and put it on film.
“The NFL is a little bit different with guys a little bit bigger and a little bit faster.”
Leary said the team knew from the jump that he’d be a special talent and a high draft pick.
“We all knew what type of player he was,” Leary said. “We all knew what type of person he was. For him to get this kind of national attention isn’t really a surprise to me.
“He’s an incredible talent. The things that he does on that field, you can’t teach.”
NC State senior center Grant Gibson has multiple reasons to watch the draft. He’ll see his fellow Charlotte native and teammate Ekwonu get drafted high, and then he’ll also see what happens with former Charlotte Mallard Creek teammate Jordan Davis of Georgia does, the mammoth nose tackle. Davis played left tackle for Mallard Creek.
“Just to see how long and how far they have come,” Gibson said. “I remember when Ickey first came in here and he didn’t really know what he was doing. To see him, he turned into a beast. Jordan is the same way.
“Back in high school, I don’t know if Ickey wanted to play, but now he’ll be a first-round pick. He has worked hard for it. It’s cool to see guys I played with get that honor that they deserve.”
Follow on Twitter:
@NCStateRivals or @JaceyZembal
Subscribe for free on YouTube:
For Jacey Zembal or The Wolfpack Central
Like on Facebook:
