Get to Know Your Orange Man: #93, DE Caleb Okechukwu

Have you been a ‘Cuse football fan your whole life? Maybe you’re just starting to get invested in the team? Either way, let’s get to know another Syracuse Orange player you’ll see a lot of next fall

Name: Caleb Okechukwu

Position: Defensive Line

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 269 lbs

Class: (Redshirt) Junior

Hometown: Washington, D.C.

High School: St. John’s College

2021 stats: He made appearances in all 12 games last season and finished with 21 tackles, 1 sack and 1 fumble recovery. He had a career high of 6 tackles and 0.5 sacks against Rutgers.

2022 projections: We’re going to see him on the field every game, there’s no doubt about that. He came out of the 2020 season with 14 tackles (10 solo, 4 assists) and then he came out of the 2021 season with 21 total (12 solo, 9 assisted), so if history shows anything, it shows he’s going to increase those numbers in 2022.

How’d he get here?: Okechukwu came to Syracuse after being rated one of the top prospects in D.C. by ESPN (#8), according to ESPN he was also the No. 62 defensive end in the nation for the class of 2017.

What’d recruiting sites say?: According to 247 Sports he was a 3-star recruit, he had offers from the Arizona Wildcats, Massachusetts Minutemen, Tennessee Volunteers, Arkansas Razorbacks, and the Syracuse Orange. Recruiting sites specifically highlight his participation in the Under Armor All-America Game in 2018.

Instagram feed: @calebdeckedoff

Interesting little fun fact: Okechukwu had a moment in his life where he never though he would play football again… back in 2018 he was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis (a breakdown in muscle tissue). He had to learn how to walk again due to the toll the illness took on his body. You can read the whole story of his battle here

Let’s get a look at ya: Well, no highlight reel from the 2021 ‘Cuse season, so let’s hop in the time machine and go back to the Under Armor All-America Game in 2018…