Player Information:

Name: Adetomiwa Adebawore

School: Northwestern

Position: DL/DT

Jersey #: 99

Height/Weight: 6’2’’ 280 

Alignment/Scheme: Strong Side Defensive End, 3 Tech

Games Watched: Vs Duke, vs Miami(OH), vs Illinois, vs Maryland, vs Nebraska 

Major Factors: # Notes:

Grading Scale:       9 - Special  8 - All-Pro  7.5 - Pro Bowler  7 - Good Starter  6.5 - Avg. Starter  6 - Good Backup  5.5 - Role Player  5 - Developmental

Athletic Ability: 6.5 Adebawore is a tough, physical player that goes the extra mile each play to do his job. He isn’t athletically gifted, but he makes up for it in his assignments. Against longer, larger players, he typically can get absorbed. 

Strength & Explosion: 6.5 His stature is low to the ground compared to his matchups. At 280 lbs, he is the average weight for an NFL DE, but in the Big 10 against larger offensive lineman, he often would be at the disadvantage in straight pass rush. His strength is in run support on stunts. 

Competes: 7 Very competitive. Will chase down a play from the backside and work to get to the perimeter on screen game or outside run. 

Production: 5 5.0 sacks, 9.0 tackles for loss, and 38 total tackles in 2022. Led the team in sacks. 

Mental/Learning: 7 4 Year contributor at Northwestern that improved in every statistical category year to year. 

Injury History: ? Unknown

Player Summary:

Report: Adetomiwa Adebawore on paper is the prototype defensive end in the NFL, however, once you turn on the tape, you get more dimension in his game. Adebawore is not the traditional NFL pass rusher that can rush from a multitude of positions. Adebawore is a high-motor end that is extremely compact in his playstyle. Against larger Tackles, Adebawore is often at disadvantage due to his lack of relative length, but because of his low center of gravity, he can keep a constant push. Since he is compact and strong, he is also able to play from the interior as well. 

Strengths: His first step is elite and he uses his intensity to get on larger offensive lineman quickly. Laterally, Adebawore is solid and is able to turn his shoulders to get into gaps rather quickly. He uses his hands very well despite his arm length not being exceptional. He does not get pushed off the spot easily, but he does not command a double team from the inside either. I would categorize Adebawore as a true two-down defensive end because of his true run-support ability. Although he is able to rush the passer, his true strength is in the run game. 

Weakness: Size. At 6’2 and 280 lbs, Adebawore is not a speed rusher. Against NFL offensive tackles, he will likely get lost in a straight rush. He will benefit from movement and stunts. Contain is a concern with Adebawore because he does not change direction extremely well. On the edge, Adebawore does not change direction exceptionally well either, but he has a motor.  

Adebawore has the skill set of a player like Brandon Graham. He can develop into this type of player with development. If he can improve his pass rush tool belt, Adebawore will be a household name in the NFL. 

Pro Comparison: Brandon Graham

Round/Grade: 3rd-4th Round 

ITH Writer/COO

-By: LeMarkus Bailey

Pat Fitzgerlad earned himself a 10-year contract extension this week after another successful season at Northwestern. The former Wildcats linebacker and two-time Big Ten DPOY and Chuck Bednarik Award winner (best defensive player in college football) has led the most successful stretch in school history after taking over as head coach in 2006. In his time as a player or coach, he has led Northwestern to 14 of its 16 bowl appearances.

"We have built the foundation to compete for championships in tandem with the best academic and personal development opportunity anywhere in college football," Fitzgerald said in a statement. "We all have a lot to be proud of, but our best is yet to come."

Let’s look at some of his best moments as a coach in Evanston.

2008: Winning nine games for just the fifth time in school history.

Fitzgerald struggled in his first two seasons in Evanston, winning a combined ten games (4-8 in year one and 6-6 in year two). In year three, Fitzgerald’s Wildcats won nine games and earned a spot in the Alamo Bowl (losing to Missouri 23-20 in overtime). This was the first time the Wildcats won 12 games in 12 years and just for the fifth time in school history, The groundwork was set.

2009: Highest-ranked win in school history.

2009 was another season to remember for Fitzgerald. Besides playing in their first New Year’s Day bowl game since 1996 (Northwestern lost a thrilling Outback Bowl to Auburn 38-35), Northwestern collected their highest-ranked win in school history, a 17-10 win on the road over #4 Iowa. 

2012: First bowl win in 64 years.

Before 2012, the last bowl win by a Northwestern team was the 1948 Rose Bowl. That’s a pretty big monkey to try and get off the back of a football program. After losing nine consecutive bowl games, the Wildcats finally broke through into the win column in 2012, winning the Gator Bowl over Mississippi State 34-20. He also became just the second Wildcat coach in program history to coach two nine-win teams.

2018: First conference division title in program history.

The Wildcats hadn’t won a conference championship since 2000. In 2018, Fitzgerald and co. won the program’s first-ever division title, winning the Big Ten West title with an 8-4 record and a chance to play for the conference crown in the Big Ten Title Game. Back in September, nobody thought the Wildcats would be in this spot, wildly underperforming in losses to Duke, Akron, and Michigan. Northwestern then rattled off seven wins in its next eight games to meet Ohio State in the title game. The Wildcats were thoroughly outmatched against a Buckeyes team that would eventually go on to win the Rose Bowl 45-24. Northwestern bounced back with an 11-point win against 17th-ranked Utah in the Holiday Bowl.

2020: Pandemic season ends in second division championship and another bowl win.

Despite everything else going on in the world, Northwestern and Fitzgerald rode a strong defense to a 6-1 regular season and another Big Ten West crown. Unfortunately, the Wildcats got to play Ohio State again, and lost 22-10 to the playoff-bound Buckeyes. Northwestern rebounded in their bowl game, pounding Auburn 35-19.

Many think Fitzgerald would be primed to take a jump to a major program or to the NFL, he’s that good. However, this extension writes in stone that Fitzgerald will be a Wildcat for a lot longer (Note, when asked after the 2018 Holiday Bowl win over Utah, Fitzgerald put to bed rumors of him going to the Green Bay Packers, noting he was an “I’m here forever”). Cheers, Wildcats fans.

Writer

-By: TJ Mathewson