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Sewo Olonilua, FB
School: TCU | Conference: Big 12
College Experience: Senior | Age: 21(?)
Height / Weight: 6’3” / 232 lbs
Projected Draft Status: Late round or UDFA
NFL Comparison: Toby Gerhart
Career Statistics:
Player Overview
Olonilua was a 4-star prospect coming out of high school, and the top rated player from Texas (4th rated nationally), where he played running back and safety. During his sophomore season at TCU, he played as part of a 3-man platoon, carrying the ball 64 times for 330 yards and 7 TDs (and 19 recs for 166 yards). By his junior season, he was the Horned Frogs lead back, carrying 135 times for 635 yards. That season he was also selected as the MVP for the Cheez-It Bowl, posting 194 yards and a TD.
In 2019, Olonilua platooned again, this time with Darius Anderson, providing the bruising power to Anderson’s shiftier style. He accrued 134 carries for 537 yards and 8 TDs. Olonilua is a hulking back who could potentially be well-served by a blended roll as fullback/halfback at the next level. The one mark on Olonilua’s record was a felony drug arrest that caused him to be suspended for part of the Horned Frogs first game in 2019.
Strengths
- Short yardage power.
- Solid ability to catch out of the backfield.
- Patient at the line of scrimmage.
- Good vision.
- Durable.
Weaknesses
- Average at shedding contact.
- Has had fumbling issues.
- Lacks burst.
- Needs to work on pass protection.
Let’s See His Work
How He Would Fit
This evaluation came about at the request of one of our local Hogs Haven commenters looking to hear about potential fullbacks in the draft. Olonilua was primarily a halfback in college, but was used as part of a power run scheme at TCU, and has been projected by some experts as a potential fullback at the NFL level.
He’s the kind of back about whom you wouldn’t be surprised to hear, “I’m not sure anyone wants to tackle him.” While enormous, he’s not the sort of player who, once in the backfield, necessarily tips off a run up the middle. He’s a competent enough receiver and rusher that he could just as easily break out for a wheel route as he could plow up and over the guard into the endzone.
On top of that, he provides additional versatility in other aspects of the game in that he can return kicks and, if called, upon run plays out of a wildcat formation.