Betiku Hopes Lack Of Quality Game Film Doesn’t Scare Off NFL Teams

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Oluwole Betiku knows the risks involved in drafting him today and the obvious tool missing from his NFL draft player resume - evaluation tape.

It’s the same risk he took when he announced his transfer to Illinois after having just played in 14 career games at Southern California and recording just two tackles, including 0.5 for a loss. When he announced he would be graduating early and leaving the Trojans program after suffering a hip injury before the 2018 season, Betiku was told by Power 5 Conference coaches he didn’t have enough tape for a proper evaluation as an instantly eligible transfer prospect. As a 22-year-old pass rusher with only a handful of years of competitive football experience, Betiku is once again being told by NFL talent evaluators they don’t have enough tape on him to make a proper assessment.

"It was a scary decision. Going into the portal after the injury and not having film, a lot of people told me it was the wrong idea. Coaches passed up on me and they canceled my official visits because I didn’t have film. I’m really grateful to Coach Lovie (Smith), (former defensive line) Coach (Austin) Clark. They gave me an opportunity to come here and they believed I could play and they watched my practice film,” Betiku said at Illinois’ Pro Day workout on March 9.

Since enrolling early at USC in the spring semester of 2016 as a five-star prospect, Betiku played only 24 career college football games and most were as a young backup linebacker. After a lackluster experience at USC, Betiku said he was called by his coaches in the Trojans program “the worst five-star they’d seen” but arrived at Illinois under a defensive-minded head coach with NFL experience determined to make the most of his new opportunity.

“We wish Oluwole nothing but the best as he pursues his dream of playing in the NFL," Smith said in a statement. "Wole had a terrific impact on our football team, both on the field and in the locker room. We appreciate all he did during the time he was on the Illinois campus and look forward to watching his future."

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 in his time at USC, Betiku needed only one season to be appreciated in his time with the Illini program.

“You’ve got to always bet on yourself because at the end of the day, if you know how hard you work and you know what you had to do to get to this position and you’re willing to make to sacrifices on the next level, which is going to be tough, you bet on yourself," Betiku said. "That’s how I felt about myself. I’m willing to make the sacrifices to be a pro and be the best player I can be on any team who picks me."

And that may be the problem for Betiku as his body, work ethic and production when healthy hasn’t been questioned. What is a problem is two-fold. One, Betiku was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine where he could’ve received medical testing and in-person interviews in Indianapolis.

At the Illinois Pro Day workouts, 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.

With NFL teams unable to personally work out or medically test the 250-pound pass rusher due to the nationwide stay-at-home quarantine orders from the COVID-19 world health epidemic during the last two months, Betiku saw his draft stock plummet.

The Illinois defensive end didn’t hear his name called in the first days and three rounds of the seven-round draft. Rounds four through seven will take place this afternoon on ESPN. Betiku could be seen as a late-round project and find a way for the Illini to have players taken in back-to-back NFL drafts for the first time since 2013.

“Regardless of what they say, they can’t measure my heart," Betiku said. "There’s nothing that says you have to be a Hall of Famer right away."