NC State All-American left tackle Ikem Ekwonu heading to the NFL draft
The Pancake King of Raleigh is moving on.
N.C. State’s Ikem Ekwonu is leaving school early and headed to the NFL Draft, where he is expected to be a potential first-round pick.
“My time at N.C. State has been nothing but special,” Ekwonu wrote on a social media post. “This season and this team have meant everything to me, and although this chapter of my life is being closed, I’m beyond blessed to be able to start a new chapter and continue writing my story.”
Ekwonu (6-4, 320 pounds) started every game this season at left tackle. The Charlotte native was a consensus first-team All-American, the first for N.C. State since defensive end Bradley Chubb in 2017. Ekwonu was just the third consensus All-American in school history.
Ekwonu led the team with 67 pancake blocks and 18 knockdowns. He allowed just two sacks in 829 snaps.
CBSSports and 247Sports both have Ekwonu going No. 4 to the New York Jets. Yahoo Sports has Ekwonu going to his hometown Carolina Panthers at No. 7 overall.
Ekwonu started seven games as a true freshman in 2019 and never looked back. Over the past two years he has started 24 games, playing both guard and tackle in 2020.
This story was originally published January 1, 2022 at 8:49 PM.
