'24 NFL Draft Profile: Clemson's Ruke Orhorhoro

Clemson continues to turn out monsters on their D-line. Where do we put Orhorhoro?

I don’t believe this is a particularly impressive defensive tackle draft at the very top. There are definitely years where there appears to be a major difference maker that should go in the first hour of the first round, but 2024 doesn’t feel that way. Today, we find another player that has plenty, but still has to bring it all together as he graduates up a level, Clemson’s Ruke Orhorhoro.

No. 33 - Ruke Orhorhoro - Age 22 - RS Senior - 6’4 - 294 - 4.90

Ruke is another prospect from the “late to football” category which seems to give us some of the more interesting players each year. In Ruke’s case, he was born in Nigeria and moved to the US in grade school and then started playing football in 11th grade. That is neither a good nor bad thing, but it does require some understanding in certain regard.

On one hand, players like him and including him after watching his tape seem to be down a level in natural instincts and feel for the game of football on a wider basis. They often zoom in on the one-on-one situation they have in front of them and with that isolated vision and understanding sometimes do not have the awareness we are seeking for the “High Football IQ” and we have to consider that. But, also, there is usually an education that is in real time and may not be finalized until they are a ways into their NFL career.

In other words, what you see is not exactly what you will get. If a player like Ruke is significantly better at these awareness and recognition skills we call instincts than he was in 2020 or 2021, that is a great sign that he is figuring it out in real time. However, it is not promised, so we have to factor it all in.

But, yes, he is a steadily improving player who has had to wait his turn at Clemson behind some very nice defensive lineman and has seen his role and responsibility grow in a slow fashion.