Rice defensive lineman Ikenna Enechukwu eyeing big season, NFL ambitions: ‘I can do it all’

Busting through the line of scrimmage, Rice standout defensive lineman Ikenna Enechukwu has a toolbox of pass-rushing moves to hit and disrupt quarterbacks.

Whether it’s his trademark rip move, a powerful technique perfected by Cleveland Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett, bull rushes, speed rushes, or other moves, the Rice standout defensive lineman creates a pathway into the backfield.

By whatever means necessary, Enechukwu consistently finds a way.

“I’ve definitely been getting better at my rip move,” Enechukwu said in an interview at Fellini Caffè in Rice Village near the school’s campus. “I watch the film of Myles Garrett and I see how aggressive he is getting around the corner with a simple rip. I’ve been working on that this offseason and it will pay off.”

Reflecting on his progress, his humble football beginnings, and emerging as a rising NFL draft prospect who’s on the Senior Bowl (the last Rice player selected for the Senior Bowl was Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell in 2014) and East-West Shrine Bowl all-star game watch lists, Enechukwu has set high goals for this season, which is likely to be his final college season with his ambitions set on declaring for the NFL and being drafted. At a chiseled 6-foot-4, 267 pounds with long arms (33 7/8), the 22-year-old Kansas City native has bench pressed 225 pounds 23 times and is expected to test well for scouts.

Everything he wants to pursue starts with tonight’s road game against the USC Trojans at the Coliseum. The Owls, 4-8 a year ago and 3-5 in Conference USA games, are a 33-point underdog

“I’m very excited,” Enechukwu said. “I feel like we have all the pieces together and we’re ready to put on a great show.”

A four-time Conference USA academic honor roll selection named all-conference honorable-mention team last year, an AFCA Good Works Team nominee, and on the Outland Trophy watch list, Enechukwu set a career-high with 48 tackles, eight for losses, and 4 1/2 sacks as he started a dozen games. That included nine starts at defensive tackle and three at defensive end as he led the team with 20 quarterback hurries, eight quarterback hits, and 32 total pressures.

He is particularly proud of his performances against Alabama-Birmingham, UTEP, and Arkansas.

“That was a confidence-booster against Arkansas against an SEC offensive line,” Enechukwu said. “They didn’t feel like an SEC offensive line, not to be disrespectful.”

It was a breakthrough season for Enechukwu, a cornerstone of coach Mike Bloomgren’s first recruiting class as a second-team all-state selection from Missouri who helped Ruskin win a playoff game despite suiting up just 19 players. A former wrestler and marching band participant pursuing his master’s degree in business administration, Enechukwu can play everywhere from nose tackle to three-technique to a wide defensive end. The Owls hope to play him outside as much as possible this season.

“I’ve definitely lined up a lot at every single position,” Enechukwu said. “You’ll mainly see me in the C or B gap. That’s where I spend most of my time. I feel like I can do it all. I have the strength and mentality to play any position. What makes the most sense is to be that C-gap defensive end.”

At the NFL level, he’s expected to play defensive end and could also project as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. Enechukwu doesn’t worry too much about the NFL. He wants to stay in the moment and not change anything about what he’s done to get to this point where he’s under consideration from NFL scouts.

He’s keeping the main thing the main thing.

“It’s just like something I don’t want to focus on,” Enechukwu said. “It’s been kind of a distraction. I’ve always been afraid of that happening. I don’t want to seem big-headed. I want to treat it the same way, knowing I have to be hungry and go earn everything I get. I feel similar to how I was coming out of high school.

“Attention can come and go quickly if you don’t perform. I understand I have to keep doing well and turn up the process and continue to grow exponentially. I have two years of eligibility left. Right now, I’m dead set this is my year to take off. I’ve been having the mentality. It felt unrealistic to go to the NFL last year. It’s great to have high expectations. I’m excited to have a great season and get drafted.”

The Owls are beyond tired of losing. Over the past four seasons, they’ve gone a combined 11-31. Their best record was last year’s 4-8 mark.

“Yeah, we’re starving,” Enechukwu said. “It’s been a long time. We understand there’s a lot of pressure on us to win this year and we understand we have the ability to win this year. We’re going to take care of business. We have some really great coaches. We have trust in our coaches and we know how dedicated they are.

“One thing we’ve been focusing on is being consistent at working on your craft. It may take a while to see results. You might get adversity, but you’ve got to trust the process and keep working hard to the end until you get that breakthrough. We’re a close team with the adversity we’ve been through in the past. We’ve cleaned things up in the locker room and cleaned things up in the culture. We’ve become more of a team.”

With a goal of working in commercial real estate and investments in the future, Enechukwu is confident he has built a solid foundation for the future with his athletic and academic success.

For the next stage to go the way he’s hoping it will, he knows he has to finish strong and continue to grow as a player.

“I am incredibly proud,” Enechukwu said. “I’m not where I want to be yet. I came so far, but I have a long way to go. I do feel accomplished and proud of how far I’ve been able to get so far with how little I had to start with. I’m focused on the season.”

Aaron Wilson is a Pro Football Network reporter and a contributor to KPRC 2 and click2houston.com