UFL Showcase Player Highlight Edge Chinedu Oparaku

Chinedu Oparaku is one of the many UFL hopefuls who has had to make real-life decisions after college. Unfortunately, this included the realization that financially his best choice was to pursue a career away from football to provide security for himself and his family. Speaking of security, that is his expertise off the field as he works in Cyber Security for the Department of the State. This isn’t exactly a career you want to walk away from.

This has left Oparaku very limited in his options to return to football with his only real choices being the NFL, CFL, and UFL, with overseas or indoor options taking him away from a promising career and not providing the financial backing he needed to justify these choices. These are the unfortunate realities that some players face. With indoor football and many overseas options, not providing the same financial security that leagues like the NFL, CFL, and UFL can provide.

Such is life for players trying to make it in the football world, even though every fiber of your being wants to be on the field, the truth is sometimes that’s not enough for a college graduate with a degree and a future in his field of choice. This may strike some as not having love for the game, and to be honest, I’m guilty of this thought at times as well, however, none of us can judge another man on their choices in this situation.

This should be viewed as an indicator that Chinedu Oparaku is an intelligent man (working in Cyber Security you have to be) who has his priorities in order even if it means making the tough choice. With that in mind, the effort level Oparaku will bring to the leagues that can offer him a future is undeniable. He lit it up in 2023 at the XFL Showcases, and I expect he will do the same this season. Let’s take a look at what Oparaku offers to a team in 2025.

Table of Contents

1 College Career

College Career

As a high school senior Oparaku managed 26 sacks in a single season, his explosive nature was simply too much for most offensive linemen to cope with. Despite this unbelievable production, he did not receive the kind of interest at the college level you might expect. He would begin his career at small DIII Dean College, Oparaku knowing his path to the pro ranks would not be an easy one.

This never deterred him and it fueled his fire over the next five years. That first year at Deans prepared Oparaku for what was next. He would transfer to Fairmont and in his first season he would add depth at linebacker and on special teams. Appearing in 6 games he collected 1.5 tackles and 1 carry for 7 yards.

The following season he began to work his way into the lineup more and more. Playing in 11 games he managed 13 tackles, .5 for a loss, 4 passes defended, and 1 blocked kick. He also recorded 1 punt return for 4 yards. In 2017 his final year of college he had his best season to date. Playing in 10 games he managed 31 tackles, including 4 for a loss, 1 sack, 1 pass deflection, 1 fumble recovery, 1 blocked kick, and 1 punt return for 1 yard.

Knowing he still needed to prove himself he accepted an invite to the National Bowl. This is one of many bowl games meant to highlight players and give them a chance to showcase their talent one last time before the draft. Oparaku put on a show logging 3 sacks, 2 pass breakups, and 1 hurry. This helped him turn heads in a way that most of his college career simply didn’t.

Moving on Up

Unfortunately, the lack of playing time in college limited his options to play professional football. Even though he caught the attention of a Steelers scout who attended his pro day it didn’t end up panning out with a contract offer.

To his credit, he did not waste time and looked to his next option which happened to be the growing CFL dynasty known as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. When he signed in 2018, the Blue Bombers were coming off a 23-13 record the last two seasons before early playoff exits. Winnipeg was on a mission to win a Grey Cup, and this was one of their most competitive training camps in recent memory due to that fact.

Ultimately Oparaku didn’t make the cut in 2018 and was let go, but this wasn’t the last time he would attempt to make Winnipeg’s roster. The following year in 2019, Oparaku was signed to try and compete for a roster spot once again. This time the outcome was much the same. During these two seasons Winnipeg would continue to win…a lot. This includes a 21-15 regular season record, and a 5-1 playoff record losing in the West Final to Calgary. In 2019 they would manage their first Grey Cup victory since 1990.

This left Oparaku searching for an opportunity to play, which led him to what became his only option in 2020 as the world shut down around us all. He would play in The Spring League. This is of course the league that ended up being the precursor to the USFL just two seasons later.

Traits to Build a Career On

Oparaku has an innate ability to get off blocks, and the non-stop motor to chase plays down from behind when needed. He has a solid first step, and does a great job of reading and reacting to the play and attacking the ball carrier.

His combination of size and athleticism allow him to be a force not only on defense but special teams as well. As seen in the brief highlight tape above he has played on kick and punt coverage units. However at 240 pounds with his strength he could also see time on the field goal and field goal block units, punt block unit, as well as in the return game as a blocker. He could in theory play every special teams unit, while adding legitimate depth at linebacker and defensive end if needed in either area. His value on special teams alone is tremendous but I believe he was hurt by his size at the time. Winnipeg listed him at just 207 pounds, but by 2023 he weighed 240 pounds and managed to do so without affecting his athletic ability, not an easy thing to do.

Measurables Leave Teams Scratching Their Heads

Typically edge rushers are not 220 pounds, but that’s exactly how much Oparaku weighed at the time he was struggling to find his spot in the league. Caught between a lack of college production and being dubbed a tweener, Oparaku was viewed more as a linebacker than a true edge rusher, much like Hassan Reddick who was plugged in at inside linebacker early in his career before teams realized how to use him correctly, a story that Oparaku is living through himself. Even most 3-4 linebackers are 6’3 235 pounds or more and often teams will lean toward a player with prototypical size over a player that doesn’t possess these traits.

Oparaku realized his size was hurting his consideration as a pass rusher and came back about two years later weighing 20 pounds heavier but maintaining his patented explosion. He put on a show once again at the 2023 XFL Showcase in an attempt to receive an invite to the combine. He did just that and again impressed, even with the added weight he finished top five in many categories.

He had a 1.09 quick twitch which was dramatically better than his next competitor who had a .88. He also had the highest jump height with 23.5 inches. In grip strength, he was fourth in the left hand with 836, third in the right with 834, and fourth in total. He showed up fourth in the Bar Speed Metrics for pound-for-pound power with a 37.73. We again find him fourth in top speed at 20.75 mph. A showing that should have resulted in a contract offer from a team, alas he was passed over for lesser athletes going back to the drawing board.

NFL Comparison

If you’re looking for players that play a similar game to Oparaku, look no further than Hassan Reddick. Reddick has never been your prototypical pass rusher who can put his hand in the dirt, but instead he was used as an outside linebacker allowed to stand up. He would find plenty of success in this role with Carolina, and Philadelphia before being traded. Oparaku was a near spitting image of Reddick coming out of college, but added some weight to try and improve his chances while adding more strength to his game.

A quick twitch pass rusher, Oparaku is a force off the edge when used correctly, and I could see him fitting in perfectly with the San Antonio Brahmas. Wade Phillips once coached another stand up edge rusher who is a bit closer in size to Oparaku’s current weight, that is of course Von Miller. Phillips and the Brahmas invested heavily on edge rushers in the UFL draft, but let’s not forget these players may never make it to the UFL as many are currently on NFL rosters..such as Gabriel Murphy another player that isn’t all that different from what Oparaku brings to the table. How about the DC Defenders to replace the recently retired Trent Harris?

At 27 years old Oparaku still has plenty left in the tank, now it’s up to a team to give him a chance and let him prove the National Bowl was not a fluke, but the talent he has shining. The 2024 UFL Showcases may provide him the chance to shine one more time, will it be enough to convince a team to take that chance on him?

Check out our latest UFL Showcase Player Highlight Article.

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