Illinois Football 2025 Scouting Report: Inside Linebacker Kenenna Odeluga

A four-year veteran, Odeluga brings leadership and experience to a deep Illinois linebacker unit

Nov 6, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Kenenna Odeluga (39) celebrates a win against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Illinois on SI is delivering scouting reports for each of the key players on the Illini football team's 2025 roster. Below, we present our breakdown of Illini senior inside linebacker Kenenna Odeluga. We will add more as other on-field contributors emerge during the season. Find our scouting reports of other Illinois players by searching in your favorite browser or clicking in our projected depth chart – coming soon.

Kenenna Odeluga | Inside linebacker | Senior | No. 39

Hometown: South Holland, Illinois

High School: Mount Carmel

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 235 pounds

Preseason honors: Big Ten Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award nominee

Scouting report

Odeluga is a sturdy, 6-foot-1, 235-pound linebacker whose game is defined by physicality and smart situational play. He thrives as a pocket disruptor, showing the quick first step and strong hands needed to win one-on-one against blockers. His motor flashes on every snap, and he’s capable of generating pressure using power or timing a blitz to collapse the pocket. That ability was on full display against Michigan State last year, when he notched a career-best two sacks, showing both anticipation and finishing strength.

Beyond his pass-rush skills, Odeluga is a disciplined defender who stays square in run support and shows good awareness in tracking plays from sideline to sideline. He bounced back effectively after missing spring practices because of an injury, regaining his spot as a trusted rotational piece in Illinois’ linebacker unit.

Experience

Odeluga redshirted his freshman year in 2021 after seeing game action in three matchups. He broke into the rotation in 2022, appearing in all 13 games, and quickly made an impact at the line of scrimmage and in coverage.

In 2023, Odeluga stepped into a larger role, starting five games and appearing in 11 while establishing himself as one of the Big Ten’s most opportunistic defenders. He tied for second in the conference in fumble recoveries and ranked fifth in forced fumbles, showcasing a knack for being around the ball. His momentum was interrupted by a spring injury in 2024, but by season’s end, he had reestablished himself as a presence in the linebacker rotation, appearing in 12 games.

Year	Team	Games	Tackles	TFL-Yds	Sacks	INTs	Pass Breakups	Forced Fumbles
2024	Illinios	12	8	3-26	3	0	0	0
2023	Illinois	11	37	4-16	1	0	1	2
2022	Illinois	13	8	3.5-15	2	0	1	0
2021	Illinois	3	0	0-0	0	0	0	0

Media highlights

Illinois Athletics is proud to announce Kenenna Odeluga of @IlliniFootball as our male Big Ten Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award recipient for his continuous dedication to improving his community. pic.twitter.com/Oln1jKZfHz

— Illinois Athletics (@IlliniAthletics) March 5, 2025

What they're saying

"K.O. is out there flying around and knocking the piss out of people. He's getting back to that place I know he wanted to be. You just saw him gradually get better each week, and now he's back," Illinois linebackers coach Archie McDaniel on Odeluga's spring performance.

2025 outlook

Odeluga enters 2025 healthy and poised to reassert himself as a disruptive force in Illinois’ linebacker rotation. With his proven ability to force fumbles and pressure the quarterback, he’ll be a valuable piece attacking off the edge or in creative blitz looks. The Illini’s depth at linebacker allows him to be deployed situationally, which should maximize his impact while keeping him fresh over the course of the season. If Odeluga can put everything together, he can be expected to deliver a quality season as a reserve – but may even have a shot at holding down a starting role.

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