A New Disruptive Force on the Atlanta Falcons Injured List? Meet Ruke Orhorhoro

THE Atlanta Falcons will open training camp at IBM Performance Field in a few weeks, officially kicking off the first season under new coach Raheem Morris. There are a few new faces on the defensive side of the football, including the team’s 2024 second-round draft pick out of Clemson University, Ruke Orhorhoro.

It should also be noted that general manager Terry Fontenot made a trade in the second round to get the Clemson star. He sent the No. 43 and No. 79 picks to the Arizona Cardinals (from the Jaguars) in exchange for the No. 35 and No. 186 picks. The question is, what did Atlanta’s scouting department see in Orhorhoro?

Background of Orhorhoro

The 6-foot-4, 294-pound defensive tackle played high school football in the opposite climate of Clemson, South Carolina. As a Michigan resident, Orhorhoro was Clemson’s first signee from the state of Michigan since 1975.

The Nigerian native has been ranked as the 18th best player overall in Michigan by 247Sports. However, he was originally a basketball player who averaged a double-double in high school until he joined the River Rouge High School football team as a junior.

He played defensive end his junior and senior seasons and racked up 13 sacks his senior year. Although he received offers from Michigan and Michigan State, he opted to follow the recruiting trail of then-defensive coordinator Brent Venables.

In five years at Clemson, he started 30 games, all in his final three years of eligibility. As a run defender, he was a force in the middle of the Tigers’ defensive front, with 25.5 career tackles for loss. More importantly, he had 12 career sacks, increasing his total each year, while earning third-team all-ACC honors in his final two seasons as a Tiger.

Head coach Dabo Swinney believes Ruke is a unique player with a great story.

“Watching him develop at Clemson every year, to me, Ruke is a great example to a lot of kids in today’s world that if you stay and work, if you have talent, then you will develop,” Swinney said of Orhorhoro after the Falcons selected him.

“He’s a guy that redshirted, didn’t play much as a redshirt freshman, was a rotation player as a sophomore, and then as a redshirt junior and senior, he became a starter and now he’s a high draft pick. He just kept his head down, stayed the course, kept working, and he’s really, really become a great football player. But, again, his best football is still ahead of him and that’s what everybody’s excited about. He’s a guy that I think will make an impact right away as a freshman.”