100 Days to Football Time in Oklahoma: #2 David Ugwoegbu By: Ryan Lewis Posted on: September 2, 2021

The Path to Norman

David Ugwoegbu, out of Katy, Texas, was a highly ranked prospect with offers from Alabama, Texas A&M, Florida, and other top schools. With his first offer coming over a year and a half before his signing day, he had plenty of time to take his pick of schools. Despite visits to several Texas schools, Lincoln Riley and the Sooners held the lead in his recruitment for some time. Alex Grinch visited the young man in January, one short month before his signing day; he committed later that day.

Career so Far

Ugwoegbu played in every game as a true freshman. He was in a reserve spot throughout the first six games. After the season-ending injury to Jon-Michael Terry, Nik Bonitto and Ugwoegbu split the snaps at RUSH. His athleticism was a big selling point as he found his way into the opposing backfield on several occasions. 

Year two was even bigger for the linebacker. Transitioning to inside linebacker and putting on good size, Ugwoegbu again played in every game. He started in three games in the back half of the season and finished sixth on the team in total tackles. Ugwoegbu was also a force on special teams, blocking and recovering a punt against Texas. With virtually no offseason to prepare for the transition, the growth he saw at inside linebacker was astounding; he was one of OU’s best defenders by year’s end.

Current Profile

Position: Linebacker

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 248

Year: Junior

Stats

Stats via Soonersports.com

Highlights

This Season

Ugwoegbu appears ready for a monster season. This spring, TFB reported that he has been taking steps to further improve and, depending on who you ask, might be OU’s best linebacker. He is expected to start alongside Brian Asamoah this season, giving OU quite the combination at inside linebacker along with quality depth behind them. With the growth he saw last year and the expected play of this season, Ugwoegbu looks likely to be a top-three round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft or perhaps even higher in the 2023 Draft if he returns for another season. Expect an All-Big 12 season from David Ugwoegbu in his third year in Norman.