New York Giants Sign Illini DE Oluwole Betiku
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois pass rusher Oluwole Betiku was among 10 undrafted free agents signed by the New York Giants.
Two days after the draft was completed, the Giants franchise, which has a first-year head coach in Joe Judge, announced the signing of its college free agents. Betiku was signed along with Northern Arizona quarterback Case Cookus, wide receivers Derrick Dillon of LSU and Binjimen Victor of Ohio State, South Carolina tight end Kyle Markway, Louisville offensive tackle Tyler Haycraft, Dartmouth defensive end Niko Lalos, North Carolina linebacker Dominique Ross and defensive backs Christian Angulo of Hampton and Central Methodist’s Malcolm Elmore.
In his only season at Illinois, Betiku was the media’s All-Big Ten Conference third-team selection following a 2019 campaign that included 36 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, nine sacks and seven quarterback hurries despite missing three games due to a lower body injury. After being chided by the coaches in his time at USC, Betiku needed only one season to be appreciated in his time with the Illini program.
At the Illinois Pro Day workouts on March 9, Betiku was timed at 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash, completed 19 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press and showcased a wing span of 7-feet, 9 and ⅛ inches.
For the fourth time in the last seven years, the Illinois football program did not have a player drafted into the National Football League. The Big Ten Conference had 48 players selected in this year’s draft. Illinois, Northwestern and Rutgers were the only schools in the 14-team league to not have a player taken.