'Blue-collar kid' Adepoju Adebawore showing flashes of potential for OU football so far
NORMAN — Adepoju Adebawore didn’t get to enjoy being a five-star prospect in high school for too long.
The talented edge rusher spent most of his time at North Kansas City High with a four-star tag on his name. It wasn’t until late January that he became a consensus five-star prospect.
Not like that mattered to OU football coach Brent Venables.
“(Adebawore), for a blink of an eye, might’ve been a five star,” Venables said on Tuesday. “Y’all had him way down there for a long down. … I like to promote during the recruiting process that your butt is going to get in the back of the line like everybody else.
“Stars, awards, all the wins, the tackles, the interceptions, the passing yards, you can’t bring it with you. It doesn’t travel.”
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Adebawore has shown flashes of his potential in his short time with OU, which hosts Iowa State at 6 p.m. Saturday.
The freshman has recorded four tackles (2.5 for loss) and one sack so far this season. And despite being in a limited role, Adebawore has impressed Venables and his staff.
“He’s a blue-collar kid,” Venables said. “He’s super humble and hard working. Nothing that has happened with PJ has surprised me.”
Adebawore comes from a football family.
He’s the younger brother of Adetomiwa Adebawore, a former Northwestern defensive lineman who got selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round (No. 110 overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Adebawore has some big shoes to fill, and his parents will be the first ones to point that out.
"We’re bragging up PJ (Adebawore)," Venables said of Adebawore's recruitment process. "And both parents are 'Who is PJ? He’s done nothing.' They start bringing up his other son. 'He has a degree, he’s a strong man, he has this great body of work and he’s going to play in the NFL. PJ has done nothing.'"
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But Adebawore is beginning to make a name for himself at OU.
His strongest performance came during OU’s win over Tulsa on Sept. 16 when he erupted for three tackles (2.5 for loss) and one sack.
It was Adebawore's first real taste of college football, and it fueled him to continue to improve as a player.
“I knew everything was going to be faster," Adebawore said after the game. "I knew everything was going to be way more physical, I knew guys was going to be smarter. So that just tells me I just got to up my game in all facets of the game."
Adebawore will have to battle for reps this season in a defensive ends room that’s led by veterans such as redshirt senior Rondell Bothroyd and junior Ethan Downs.
But Adebawore has the potential to become a star at some point for OU. And in the eyes of Venables, that’s worth much more than any stars on the recruiting trail.
"You all did have PJ rated down there for a long time," Venables said with a smile. "I thought I’d take a moment to have some fun. But I'm right."
More: OU football waiting for 'somebody to establish themselves' in running back rotation
Quick hits
Senior center Andrew Raym on the return of Savion Byrd, who's available after missing OU's game against Cincinnati: “Having Byrd back is big time. Big strong guy. He’s got hands. Loves to run through people. Love to have Byrd back.”
Sophomore cornerback Gentry Williams on being called for pass interference against Cincinnati: "It's football, something I really can't control. What I can control is my technique. I could've did some things better. I move on. They didn't score on that drive, so that's a relief right there."
Redshirt fifth-year defensive tackle Jonah Laulu on the next step for OU's defense: "Next step is just keep stacking days, keep stacking practices, trying to go 1-0 every day, get better at something every day because you can’t become complacent. ... You always have a focus every day on something to get better at."
Bothroyd on Adebawore: “He’s gonna be great. ... We try to help him out as much as we can because when he’s on the field he can make stuff happen. ... He’s gonna be great, though. He already is.”
Senior safety Key Lawrence on embracing a leadership role this season: “I always wanted to be that leader, and I always wanted to have that pressure on me because it’s something that I’m naturally doing.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football freshman Adepoju Adebawore impressing Brent Venables
