Former NC State Star Ready to Dominate in 2025

Head coach Dave Canneles spoke during training camp media availability and preached how the Panthers are a team, and others won't want to face this upcoming season. Ekwonu gave his thoughts on the notion. 

"We buy into it," Ekwonu said. "The trenches war is where the battle starts. The trenches are where, in my opinion, really dictate the game: the O-line, D-line, as long as the O-line and D-line are dominant. I feel like that's going to be true. Teams aren't going to want to play us as we go out there and show in each and every play that we want to put you in the dirt. That's definitely a mindset that we're going to adopt."   

Cohesion in the trenches

The offensive line is a strong and tight-knit unit. Coaches and players know the real game is won in the trenches, and as Ekwonu said, "The trenches war is where the battle starts." Just ask the Philadelphia Eagles what they feel about the matter. The O-line and D-line rooms would agree. 

In a league known for roster turnover, continuity is a luxury – especially on the offensive line. Regardless, the Panthers return most of their starters from 2025, and the continuity is something Ekwonu doesn't take for granted.

"First and foremost, it's definitely rare," Ekwonu said. "Retaining as many guys as we did, it's definitely a blessing in that aspect. I feel like it's definitely a good opportunity for us to grow more and get more connected, and I feel like the more we spend time together, we're going to play that much better. And I'm definitely excited to have all those guys back."

Extension watch 

Like Ekwonu said, keeping the same guys in a unit from season to season is rare. The following offseason for the Panthers may be tricky as Ekwonu is set to get an extension off his rookie deal. 

The Panthers' executive vice president of football operations, Brandt Tilis, spoke about the matter. 

"It's really hard and tricky to get deals done for players after their third year who are first-round picks and are still ascending," Tilis said. "As far as the conversations go with his agent, again, just keep that between us. But Ickey's an ascending player and I think we're gonna see the best version of him in 2025."

Conversations have started, which is a good sign for Ekwonu, who will be seeking a new deal. The Panthers aren't scared to finish deals in the middle of the season. The team signed running back Chubba Hubbard in the middle of 2024, so there is potential for a deal to be done in the coming months. 

Still, it's more likely something gets done in the offseason, with Ekwonu and his tackle mate Taylor Morgan looking for extensions. It may be a busy offseason for the Panthers if they want to keep the continuity within the offense, or the reality of the NFL may kick in for the young team in Carolina.

For Ekwonu, his motives are pretty clear.

"I'm not going to talk timeline," Ekwonu said on his potential extension. "I'm going to let my agent handle that one and everything. I've always said I want to be here. People always say this is home for them. This is literally my home. Born and raised here, grew up a Panther fan. So, I definitely want to wear that process blue as long as I can. So hopefully we can get something done."