In a perfect world in which the college football season goes off on time, Tuesday, June 16 marks 79 days until NC State’s season and ACC opener against Louisville, a Thursday night road game that will likely be nationally televised.

Each day, The Wolfpacker will do a countdown to the season with a reflection on the significance of that number to NC State.

Career: Ekwonu, referred to as "Ickey" by his teammates and coaches, enters the 2020 season as an experienced sophomore after starting at left tackle for the final seven games as a true freshman.

Listed at 6-foot-4, 308-pounds, Ekwonu led NC State with 37 pancake blocks while only allowing 2 sacks in 641 snaps.

Number 79 earned second-team All-ACC and Freshman All-American honors in 2019 from Pro Football Focus. According to PFF, Ekwonu scored top-three among returning ACC offensive lineman in average grade scoring last season.

Talented off the field as well, the sophomore tackle was named an All-ACC Academic performer and was named to the Dean's List with a 3.4 GPA in Business Management.

Ekwonu became the first true freshman to start at offensive tackle for NC State since Rob Crisp in 2010, won the team's Philip Rivers Award for Rookie of the Year and was the co-recipient of the team's Jim Richter Offensive Lineman of the Year award.

Background: From Providence Day High in Charlotte, N.C., Ekwonu was a multi-sport athlete in high school as both a football player and a wrestler.

Rated a three-star guard in the class of 2019, the Charlotte native was ranked No. 29 in North Carolina and No. 31 nationally for his position according to Rivals.

The lineman played on both sides of the ball for Providence High and recorded 29 tackles including four sacks as a senior, the same year he was named first-team all-state.

Fun Fact: Ekwonu has a fraternal twin brother, Osita Ekwonu, that plays linebacker at Notre Dame.

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