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Illinois Football: New DL Tomiwa Durojaiye Gears Up for NFL Push
Middletown football player Tomiwa Durojaiye smiles after putting on his University of Kentucky hat during his signing ceremony Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. Sports Middletown Signings Jerry Habraken / USA TODAY NETWORK

Illinois Football: New DL Tomiwa Durojaiye Gears Up for NFL Push

Originally posted on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI
By Zain Bando  |  Last updated Feb 5, 2025 11:28 AM ET

New Illinois defensive lineman Tomiwa Durojaiye, a transfer from Florida State, would likely be the first to admit that his college football career has gone differently than he would have chosen for himself.

But after three years – first at Kentucky, then West Virginia and finally Florida State – it delivered Durojaiye to Champaign, where on Monday the 6-foot-5, 300-pound junior from Philadelphia spoke positively about fulfilling his potential.

Durojaiye, one of 10 transfer portal players Illinois has brought in for the 2025 season, said that after years of searching, he believes he has found the program that can help him meet his long-term goals.

Durojaiye arrives in Champaign with two seasons of eligibility left, big ambitions to play at the next level and proof that coach Bret Bielema and his staff have the blueprint to help him get there.

"Keith [Randolph Jr.] didn't get drafted, but he's still in the NFL," Durojaiye told FOX Illinois on Monday, citing recent Illini defensive linemen now in the pros. "He's on [the Green Bay Packers'] roster right now. Johnny [Newton], everybody knows he would have been a first-round [pick] if he didn't get hurt and stuff like that."

Durojaiye, a former three-star recruit, did his research, and he says examples such as Randolph and Newton give him confidence that he can complete his journey to the pros given what Bielema and staff have done to develop players with similarly high ceilings, such as Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph and Seattle Seahawks safety De'Von Witherspoon.

"The biggest thing was, it was a fit," Durojaiye said of Illinois. "I got caught up in the past. Maybe I've been in great places, but they may have not been the best fit for me. I think that was something I had to focus on, was learning the best fit."

Durojaiye said he is ready to focus on the present and becoming the best player he knows he can be.

"I'm appreciative for every step of the journey," Durojaiye said. "I think now, it's like, being on my feet. That was something I struggled with in the past, and really, it has been easy so far [adjusting to Illinois]. I'm not thinking, 'Oh, I have to go pro this year. Oh, we gotta win this [game] this year.' It's like, learning our motto here, learning how to be tough, smart dependable. I think that's really been the biggest thing for me."

Durojaiye had 23 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 13 games for the Mountaineers as a redshirt freshman in 2023, then played four games for the Seminoles, tallying three tackles and a sack, in 2024.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Illinois Football Signs Elite Cornerback Recruit Victor Singleton

Former Illini Kerby Joseph Earns Big Honor to Cap Detroit Lions Season

Illinois Wide Receiver Zakhari Franklin Declares for 2025 NFL Draft

This article first appeared on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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