2016 Honors – – Finish Strong Award . . . 2016 – – Saw action in all 13 games, with three starts . . . recorded 21 solo tackles and 18 assists, with two tackles for loss, two pass break-ups and two QB pressures . . . saw action in 45-21 win over Miami, recording three assisted tackles . . . saw action in 42-3 win over Iowa State as defense allowed just 291 yards total offense . . . recorded two solo tackles and one assist vs. ISU . . . saw action in 23-21 loss to North Dakota State, matching career-high with four tackles, including three solo stops and one assist . . . saw action in 14-7 win at Rutgers, recording one solo tackle and two assists as defense allowed just one touchdown . . . saw action in 38-31 loss to Northwestern, recording one solo tackle and one assist . . . saw action in 14-7 win at Minnesota, recording one solo tackle and one pass break-up as defense allowed just 102 net rushing yards and 268 yards total offense . . . saw action in 49-35 win at Purdue, recording two solo tackles as defense allowed just 47 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 17-9 loss to #10 Wisconsin . . . career-best six tackles vs. Wisconsin, including three solo tackles and three assists, along with one QB pressure . . . started at defensive tackle in 41-14 loss at #12 Penn State for first career start . . . recorded two solo tackles and two assists at PSU . . . started at defensive tackle in 14-13 win over #2 Michigan as defense allowed just 201 yards total offense . . . recorded four tackles vs. Michigan, including two solo stops and two assists . . . career-best two tackles for loss for minus seven yards . . . started at defensive tackle in 28-0 win at Illinois, recording one QB pressure . . . saw action in 40-10 win over #15 Nebraska as defense allowed just 90 net rushing yards and 217 yards total offense . . . two solo tackles and three assists vs. Nebraska, along with one pass break-up . . . saw action in 30-3 Outback Bowl loss to #17 Florida, recording two solo tackles.
2015 – – Saw action in 12 games, recording 13 tackles, , including 1.5 tackles for loss, and one fumble recovery . . . saw action in 31-14 win over Illinois State as defense allowed 35 net rushing yards and 231 yards total offense, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 31-17 win at Iowa State, but had no statistics as defense allowed no points and just 66 yards total offense in the second half . . . did not see action in 27-24 win over Pitt . . . saw action in 62-16 win over North Texas, recording career-best two assisted tackles . . . saw action in 10-6 win at Wisconsin as defense allowed no touchdowns and just 320 yards total offense . . . recovered Badger fumble at Iowa five-yard line in fourth quarter for first career fumble recovery . . . saw action in 29-20 win over Illinois, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed just 46 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 40-10 win at Northwestern as defense allowed just 51 net rushing yards and 198 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle and one assist vs. Northwestern, including a tackle for loss . . . did not see action in 31-15 win over Maryland . . .saw action in 35-27 win at Indiana, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 40-35 win over Minnesota, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 40-20 win over Purdue, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 28-20 win at Nebraska . . . matched career-best with two tackles at Nebraska, recording one solo tackle and one assist . . . saw action in 16-13 loss to Michigan State . . . recorded career-best four tackles vs. MSU, including three solo stops and one assist . . . saw action in 45-16 Rose Bowl loss to Stanford, recording one assisted tackle, which was a shared QB sack and tackle for loss.
2014 – – Saw action in six games, recording two assisted tackles, including one assisted tackle for loss . . . 31-23 win over Northern Iowa, recording one assisted tackle as a tackle for loss . . . saw action in 17-13 win over Ball State, but had no statistics as defense allowed just two field goals and 219 yards total offense . . . saw action in 20-17 loss to Iowa State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 24-20 win at Pitt, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed just three points in the second half . . . saw action in 24-10 win at Purdue, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 156 yards total offense . . . saw action in 45-29 win over Indiana, but had no statistics . . . did not see action in 38-31 loss at Maryland due to injury . . . did not see action in final seven games of the season.
2013 – – Saw action in three games, with no statistics . . . saw first action of career in 59-3 win over Western Michigan, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 209 yards total offense . . . saw action in 23-7 win at Minnesota, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 165 yards total offense and 30 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 38-14 win at Purdue, but had no statistics.
2012 – – Redshirted.
High school honors – – Participated in USA vs. World All-American game and selected to US Marine All-American game . . . first team all-state as a senior by both the Chicago Sun Times and Chicago Tribune . . . named first team all-Catholic League . . . Career – – Earned three varsity letters as defensive lineman . . . team captain as a senior . . . collected 62 tackles as a senior, with 12 sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception . . . recorded 58 tackles as a junior, including 15 sacks, while scoring one touchdown . . . also lettered in basketball and track.
Personal – – Born 4/05/93 . . . human physiology interest major . . . parents are Grace and Jimoh Ekakitie . . . one of two players from Canada on Iowa roster . . . high school coach was Ted Stewart.