Osa Odighizuwa becomes second UCLA football player to declare for 2021 NFL Draft

Another one bites the dust. 

UCLA football’s redshirt senior defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa announced on social media that he declared for the 2021 NFL Draft. He will forego the extra year of eligibility given to all NCAA student-athletes this season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Odighizuwa played in all seven games this year, and was honored before kickoff at the Rose Bowl before UCLA’s final contest against Stanford along with fellow redshirt senior Demetric Felton – who declared for the NFL Draft Sunday.

Both Odighizuwa and Felton have accepted invitations to compete in the Reese’s Senior Bowl set to take place Jan. 30, 2021. 

Draft Scout projects Odighizuwa to be a round three to round four selection, while Rotoworld has the Portland, Oregon product off the board before day three. His brother, Owamagbe Odighizuwa – a Bruin from 2010 to 2014 – was selected by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. 

Osa Odighizuwa finished fifth on the team the last two seasons in tackles, with 46 in 2019 and 30 in 2020. He also started every game this season, every game last season and the final eight games the season before for the Bruins. He finished tied for the team lead in tackles for loss last season, and he finished second this year in sacks. 

With his departure, UCLA still has junior Otito Ogbonnia, junior Tyler Manoa, redshirt junior Odua Isibor, senior Datona Jackson and recently signed four-star recruit Quintin Somerville on the defensive line.