In which BracketCat counts down the eighth day until the 2024 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State defensive end Chiddi Obiazor.
Goal No. 8: ENTHUSIASM.
#8 Chiddi Obiazor
Redshirt Freshman | 6-6 | 282 lbs. | Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Courtesy Kansas State Athletics
- Position: Defensive End
- Previous College: None
- Projection: Co-Starter
- Status: On Scholarship
Chiddi Obiazor (b. Aug. 21, 2004) is a talented young defensive end prospect with agility, speed and toughness out of Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. He was K-State’s first signee from Minnesota since linebacker Brandon Archer (St. Paul) in 2002.
As a true freshman, Obiazor saw time in three games as he retained his redshirt in 2023.
He had a tackle in the season opener against SEMO and half a tackle for loss in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against NC State, and also played against Baylor.
Obiazor, who is majoring in communications, prepped under head coach Mike Grant at Eden Prairie, where he was viewed as the 79th-best edge defender in the Class of 2023 by On3, which also ranked him as the sixth-best overall prospect in the state of Minnesota.
He also picked up all-state honors in 2022 from SBLive after tallying 40 tackles, forcing three fumbles and blocking three kicks for the Eagles. A 2022 first-team all-metro performer by The Star Tribune and first-team all-district honoree, Obiazor also competed in basketball.
After posting some promising high school film, he selected K-State over offers from Akron, Incarnate Word, Ohio and Tulane, as well as strong interest from home-state school Minnesota. His primary recruiter was his new position coach, Buddy Wyatt, who said:
The defensive end class a year ago (Obiazor, Jordan Allen and Ryan Davis) has a chance to be really special. We have some really good players who are big, fast and humble guys. It’s exciting to see those guys get better. Chiddi stood out a year ago because he got here in the spring. The other two guys didn’t get here until the summer. Now they’ve all had the opportunity to learn the scheme, how we practice and our expectations.
Obiazor enrolled early in time for 2023 spring practices, which seemed to benefit him immensely, at least according to Van Malone (“I’ve been impressed with Chiddi Obiazor, a guy who was here early and who’s done a good job this spring”) and Joe Klanderman (“Just a side note on all these early enrollee kids — those two guys mentioned, Austin Romaine at linebacker and Chiddi Obiazor at defensive end, I wouldn’t be surprised to see any of those guys playing for us in the fall”). That said, I was correct that he would still redshirt in 2023.
Entering 2024, Avery Johnson’s roommate is a surefire lock to be a heavy part of the 4-/5-/6-/7-man rotation at defensive end, and with his additional 32 pounds of muscle over last season, he could even play some in the interior of the defensive line.
He may not start on August 31, but I bet he is a full-time starter before the season wraps up.
Obiazor’s older brother, Namdi, is a current linebacker at TCU who is also slated to start, and their sister, Nneka, played women’s basketball at UNLV before transferring this spring.
Here is what Coach Malone had to say last week about this budding pass-rushing talent:
Chiddi is a young man who has a lot of ability and a lot of talent. He’s steadily improving. Still has a long way to go as far as just being a master of his technique, but I’m pleased with his progress so far. Chiddi wants to be really successful, so he works extremely hard at all the little things, taking care of his body and recovery, and he works hard in the weight room. He’s very conscientious of his body and he works hard to take care of it.
You’re going to see Chiddi on the field a lot this year. You’re going to see a lot of our guys. A lot of our guys will get an opportunity to get some playing time this season.