NC State football stars Devin Leary, Ikem Ekwonu recognized nationally
NC State football sophomore left tackle Ikem Ekwonu has long been recognized as one of the top offensive lineman in college football.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) currently has Ekwonu graded out as the best offensive tackle in college football, and this week, ESPN’s Jordan Reid had Ekwonu going at No. 5 overall in the first round of his mock draft to the New York Giants.
Ekwonu received one of his biggest recognitions yet when he was selected as one of six semifinalists for the Outland Trophy on Wednesday, which is given to the nation’s best interior lineman on offense or defense.
That joins being rated a midseason All-American by the Associated Press, The Athletic and ESPN.
Ekwonu is the lone lineman from the ACC to make the Outland list, which presumably makes him the favorite to become the first NC State football player since Jim Ritcher in 1979 to win the ACC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy given to the league’s top offensive lineman.
That same year, Ritcher became the lone NC State player to ever win the Outland. The last semifinalist for the award was center Garrett Bradbury in 2018.
The three finalists will be revealed Nov. 23, and the winner will be announced on ESPN Dec. 9. Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis, Kentucky tackle Darian Kinnard, Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum, Alabama tackle Evan Neal and Ohio State tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere are the other semifinalists.
Also receiving recognition this week is quarterback Devin Leary. The redshirt sophomore was one of five finalists for the prestigious Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given to college football’s top quarterback. The list was revealed Thursday.
It represents a significant acknowledgement for Leary, who joined Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett, Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman, Ole Miss’ Matt Corral and Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder on the list.
Leary’s four touchdown throws at Wake Forest last Saturday made him the first quarterback in NC State’s illustrious history of signal callers to have four games of at least four TD passes in a single season against ACC competition.
He leads the ACC in passing efficiency at 157.25 and in conference-only games he has a league-high 21 touchdown passes. His 29 overall scoring tosses this year is already fifth-best in school history and within striking distance of Philip Rivers’ school mark of 34 set in 2003.
Overall, Leary has completed 247 of 377 pass attempts for 2,883 yards and only five picks.
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