NC State star left tackle Ikem Ekwonu has always dreamed of one day getting drafted.
That day is rapidly coming where he’s expected to go in the top 10 of the draft April 28 in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be the first time he’s been to Sin City and he’s looking forward to celebrating with his family.
“I always wanted to be in this position,” Ekwuno said. “I would watch the combine, watch the Pro Days and the draft every year since I could remember. The that I am that much closer to my dream, to be in this position, is a dream come true.”
Ekwonu was one of the stars at the recent NFL Combine, but he still wanted to do the bench press at 225 pounds at NC State’s Pro Day on Tuesday. He was able to do 26 reps, which he was pleased with, and two better than the last time he was officially tested at NCSU.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder clocked 4.93 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, had a 29-inch vertical jump and solidified his spot in the top half of the draft. He’s told teams he’s a left tackle, but if he is needed at another position along the offensive line, he’ll do what is best for the squad. He feels he is just “scratching the surface of his potential” at left tackle.
“I’ve been able to talk football with some of the top minds in the game, so this has been fun for me,” Ekwuno said. “The most [I’ve talked to], the Jaguars have been up there. The Giants, Jets, Browns a lot and the Panthers. I’ve been talking to a lot of football minds.”
Ekwonu has reached out to former NC State standouts such Kansas City Chiefs left guard Joe Thuney or his former roommate Alim McNeill, who is a defensive lineman for the Detroit Lions.
“I have talked to Joe Thuney, as lineman-to-lineman,” Ekwonu said. “My former roommate Alim McNeill went through this whole process a year ago. It has helped me a lot mentally for whatever challenges are ahead.”
Ekwonu was a Rivals.com three-star prospect and the No. 38 overall player in the class of 2019. He remembers a few weeks before National Signing Day that NC State needed to replace the departing Dwayne Ledford, the Wolfpack offensive line coach, who became the offensive coordinator at Louisville. Ekwonu trusted that coach Dave Doeren would hire someone he could thrive under, which ended up being John Garrison.
“I definitely improved my flexibility as a football player,” Ekwuno said. “My technique, more than anything, I’ve improved the last three years since Providence Day. Maybe I have a little bit of time management off the field.”
Ekwonu became the rare freshman to move into the starting lineup freshman year, getting seven starts in 12 games. He split time between left guard and left tackle, before making the latter his permanent home. Ekwonu credits NCSU strength and conditioning coach Dantonio Burnette for helping him adjust to college football quickly. He remembers weighing 308 pounds at his first weigh-in, but was almost 30 percent body fat.
“Shout out to Coach Thunder,” Ekwonu said. “I only had two months before camp started. He got my body right. He brought down my form all the way down to the bar, and built me back up in the weight room. I appreciate him for that."
Ekwonu went on to cement his legacy was named the 2021 Jacobs Block Trophy for being the top blocker in the ACC, first-team All-American and a finalist for the Outland Trophy. He allowed just two sacks his third year of college.
“I’ve always had that mindset of whoever is in front of me, I want to bury them,” Ekwonu said. “I just want to dominate. That is the mindset that I’ve always had.”
Ekwonu’s family are all high achievers. His fraternal twin brother Osita Ekwonu plays linebacker at Notre Dame and other siblings have excelled in their endeavors.
“I have always had a lot of support from my family,” Ekwonu said. “We are all very passionate about different things. Me and my brother, it’s football. My older sister, it’s medicine and medical school. My older brother is an animator and in graphic design.
“We all have our passions in our family.”
NC State will try and replace Ekwonu with tackles such as Bryson Speas or possibly Timothy McKay. He pondered for a smidge about returning for his fourth year at NC State, but he knows he made the best decision.
“Coming to NC State, I really wanted to leave a mark at NC State,” Ekwonu said. “I wanted to really leave my mark on the program. I’ve done that.”
Ekwonu has always wanted to leave a legacy at NC State and in football and knows quarterback Roman Gabriel [in the AFL] and defensive end Mario Williams were both past No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks. The younger lineman at NCSU and the younger players at Providence Day now look up to him.
“I remember when I was in high school having role models that I looked up,” Ekwonu said. “I remember the role models I looked up to in high school, with the biggest one, my former left tackle Eric Cal, who ended up playing at Navy.
“I just try and be the best role model that I can to those guys. Shout out to Providence Day.”
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