The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1436409
30 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Ekwonu is one of three finalists this year. Winning the Outland Trophy was Ekwonu's preseason goal. He noted that an opportunity to bring it back to Raleigh "would mean everything to me." Legacy is an important word for Ekwonu. "Building my legacy here is something I have been thinking about ever since I got there. … How can my family name, the Ekwonu name, be remem- bered at NC State, and how can this team be remem- bered?" Ekwonu said. "That's something that is important to me — looking up NC State football and having a little Wikipedia page about this team, what the season meant to us. It's definitely important for me to leave a legacy here." Ekwonu is on his way to doing that. Mock drafts have him going high in April. Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Ekwonu, who is technically a sophomore but is completing his third year at NC State and therefore draft eligible, go- ing No. 5 overall to the New York Jets. Ekwonu had not publicly revealed his plans as of Dec. 7, but he did decide to participate in Senior Day festivities before the 34-30 win over North Carolina Nov. 26. He also believes he has taken the strides he needed to take this season. "All offseason, I really focused on being more consistent in pass protection, being more consistent in my pass set, throwing my hands, just everything involved in pass pro," Ekwonu said. "So far this season, I feel like I've put that on tape. I feel like I have been more consistent in my set recognition, technique, everything that involves pass pro, I feel like I put that on tape this year." Ekwonu has only allowed two sacks in 829 snaps this season, and his attention to pass protection has not come at the expense of his run blocking. Pro Football Focus (PFF), which rates Ekwonu the No. 10 NFL Draft prospect over- all, called him "the single most dominant run-blocking tackle in the country." The outlet went on to note that Ekwonu's 18 "big-time blocks" in the run game are seven more than any other Power Five offensive lineman in the country. Overall, Ekwonu was tied for the sixth- highest offensive grade nationally among linemen with at least 100 snaps played, ac- cording to PFF, going into conference cham- pionship weekend. The first-team All-ACC selection has also been a favorite on social media, with clips from some of his 67 pancake blocks and 18 knockdowns this year often highlighted by NFL Draft gurus and going viral. One of Ekwonu's favorite follows on Twitter is Brandon Thorn, who scouts of- fensive linemen for Bleacher Report and also operates an online newsletter called Trench Warfare. When Thorn posted one of Ekwonu's highlights early in the year, that caught the standout lineman's attention. "It was just really nice seeing that recog- nition from some of the guys I idolize in this position," Ekwonu said. "That was big-time for me." Wolfpack offensive line coach John Gar- rison knows the calls will come early and often from professional scouts whenever Ekwonu decides to enter the NFL Draft. What Gar- rison cannot wait to say is that Ekwonu's impact around the Murphy Center at NC State's Carter-Finley Stadium extends well be- yond the playing field. Garrison called Ekwonu the offensive line's thermo- stat, noting he sets the tone and mood in the room. What makes the 6-4, 320-pounder special is that the energy is always positive. "The guy doesn't have a bad day," Garrison explained during a taping of Doeren's radio show. "He might … not have a great day in practice or something like that, that's going to happen. Nothing ever takes his joy, and it's incredible. It's some- thing I've never seen out of anybody. He is always positive." When Garrison was a senior in college on Nebraska's offensive line, one of his fel- low linemen was a young, highly touted prospect named Richie In- cognito. Drafted in the third round in 2005, Incognito is still playing in the NFL and is a four-time Pro Bowler. "Richie Incognito was the toughest player as far as a finisher goes on the offensive line," Gar- rison recalled. "My job was to do my assignment and then go find Richie, because he was going to finish people and then do some extra work. … That finishing ef- fort, Ekwonu is right up there with him." Garrison also paid Ekwonu per- haps the ultimate compliment a coach can give a player. "He's the hardest-playing foot- ball player I've ever been around," Garrison said. It's all part of a legacy that will be well-remembered at NC State. ■ " Building my legacy here is some- thing I have been thinking about ever since I got there. … How can my family name, the Ekwonu name, be remembered at NC State, and how can this team be remem- bered? … It's definitely important for me to leave a legacy here. " Ekwonu Ekwonu was projected to come off the board with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by ESPN's Jordan Reid and The Athletic's Dane Brugler in their early December mock drafts. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN