Virginia Tech Spring Football 2014: The Rise of Ken Ekanem
By Tim Thomas
Nov 30, 2013; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster (left) talks to his players against the Virginia Cavaliers in the third quarter at Scott Stadium. The Hokies won 16-6. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
The Virginia Tech Hokies had a couple of question marks on the defensive line entering Spring Football with one of the questions being who would be the defensive end opposite of Dadi Nicolas. Luther Maddy and Dadi Nicolas were the only two that Virginia Tech fans knew would start on the defensive line but another man has put himself in position that he will start this fall unless he gets injured.
Ken Ekanem has had some injuries in the past which have caused some issues in terms of him getting playing time but Ekanem has taken off this spring and has asserted himself as a definite starter. The former four-star recruit has been seen as a guy for the future for a couple of years but now that James Gayle and J.R. Collins have graduated, Ekanem has gotten his chance and he has taken advantage of his opportunity this spring with strong performances in the two scrimmages.
Ekanem started out with a strong first scrimmage as the defensive end had 2 sacks on April 5th to open the spring scrimmages. Ekanem then continued his strong spring with 3 sacks on April 12th in the second scrimmage to put himself at 5 total sacks which is extremely impressive. Ekanem has shown a lot of promise this spring and is going to look to continue to impress, especially in the Spring Game on April 26th.
Overall, Ken Ekanem has proven that he should be a starter in the fall and now has the chance to make an even bigger impression over the next two weeks. The redshirt sophomore is looking like a big part of maintaining the Virginia Tech defensive line after the graduation of James Gayle, J.R. Collins, and Derrick Hopkins. Ken Ekanem has a bright future in Blacksburg and Virginia Tech fans should be quite excited about what he can do this fall.
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