Oghenerukevwe Orhorhoro (born October 13, 2001) is a Nigerian-American professional football defensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to Michigan in the United States when he was nine, later playing college football at Clemson.

Ruke Orhorhoro
No. 98 – Atlanta Falcons
Position:Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (2001-10-13) October 13, 2001 (age 23)
Lagos, Nigeria
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:295 lb (134 kg)
Career information
High school:River Rouge (River Rouge, Michigan)
College:Clemson (2019–2023)
NFL draft:2024 / round: 2 / pick: 35
Career history
Roster status:Injured reserve
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 5, 2024
Tackles:3
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Orhorhoro was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to Michigan in the United States when he was nine.[1] He attended River Rouge High School in River Rouge, Michigan, where he played basketball and football starting his junior year in 2017.[2][3] Orhorhoro committed to Clemson University to play college football.[4]

College career

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As a true freshman at Clemson in 2019, Ororhoro played in nine games and had five tackles and a half-sack.[5] In 2020, he played in four games and took a medical redshirt. He started nine of 13 games in 2021, recording 36 tackles and 2.5 sacks.[6][7] Orhorhoro returned to Clemson in 2022 and 2023.[8]

Clemson Tigers
Statistics
Season Games Tackles
Total Solo Ast TFL Sacks
2019 3 4 2 2 1.5 0.5
2020 1 0 0 0 0 0
2021 13 36 11 25 8 2.5
2022 14 23 13 10 8 4
2023 12 25 13 12 8 5
Career 43 88 39 49 25.5 12

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 4 in
(1.93 m)
294 lb
(133 kg)
34 in
(0.86 m)
9+38 in
(0.24 m)
4.89 s 1.67 s 2.80 s 4.67 s 7.40 s 32.0 in
(0.81 m)
9 ft 8 in
(2.95 m)
29 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[9][10][11]

Orhorhoro was selected in the second round with the 35th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons.[12][13]

References

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  1. ^ Purcell, Jared (July 20, 2018). "Ruke Orhorhoro goes from Nigeria to USA to Clemson football". mlive.com. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  2. ^ Cubit, Alexis (September 14, 2021). "A quick learner: Clemson defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro trades hardwood for gridiron". The State. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  3. ^ Keepfer, Scott (April 26, 2024). "Pros and cons of Atlanta Falcons picking Clemson's Ruke Orhorhoro in 2024 NFL Draft". Greenville News. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  4. ^ Farrell, Perry A. (June 19, 2018). "Nigerian-born Michigan football star picks Clemson over UM: 'God's plan'". USA TODAY High School Sports. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  5. ^ Goricki, David (June 23, 2020). "River Rouge's Ruke Orhorhoro sees plenty of improvement at powerhouse Clemson". The Detroit News. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  6. ^ Blau, Jon (September 16, 2021). "Meet Ruke Orhorhoro: Clemson's 'skinny' 295-pound defensive lineman". Post and Courier. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  7. ^ Shanesy, Todd (September 15, 2021). "Clemson's 300-pound DT Ruke Orhorhoro thinks he's one of the 'skinny butts'". The Greenville News. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  8. ^ Shanesy, Todd (March 11, 2022). "Clemson's Ruke Orhorhoro blocked but also helped by return of Tyler Davis". The Greenville News. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  9. ^ "Ruke Orhorhoro Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  10. ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Ruke Orhorhoro College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  11. ^ "Clemson 2024 Pro Day Results". ClemsonTigers.com. March 14, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  12. ^ Waack, Terrin (April 26, 2024). "'I can't let them down': What DT Ruke Orhorhoro said about getting drafted by the Falcons". NFL.com. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  13. ^ McElhaney, Tori; Waack, Terrin; Subhan, Amna (April 26, 2024). "Falcons select DT Ruke Orhorhoro with the No. 35 pick overall after second-round trade in 2024 NFL Draft". NFL.com. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
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