Matt Wilson
Siaki Ika was a four star recruit coming out of East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah in the class of 2019. He held offers from schools like USC, Florida, and Alabama but chose to commit to Louisiana State University. He went on to play 13 games throughout two seasons for the Tigers in a rotational role on the interior defensive line. In 2021, he transferred to Baylor and went on to become one of the most physically imposing and dominant defensive tackles in college football over the next two years.
Ika naturally had breakout seasons in 2021 and 2022 due to more playing time, which culminated in an outstanding senior season in which he earned First Team All-Big 12 honors and an invite to the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl. He is also a finalist for the 2022 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award. He also received votes for College Football’s 2022 Defensive Lineman of the Year Award.
Siaki Ika: Measurables
| Height: | 6’3″ |
| Weight: | 358 Lbs. |
| Arms: | 34.5″ (projected) |
| Hands: | N/A |
| 40yd Dash: | 5.4 secs. (projected) |
| 20yd Split: | 3.1 secs. (projected) |
| 10yd Split: | 2.0 secs. (projected) |
| Bench: | N/A |
| Vertical: | 22″ (projected) |
| Broad: | N/A |
| Shuttle: | 4.95 secs. (projected) |
| 3-Cone: | N/A |
Siaki Ika: Attributes
Hands: Possesses extremely heavy, strong, and surprisingly energetic hands. He consistently keeps his hands locked onto his target and gets a full extension with his arms to be able to control the opponent.
Pass Rush: It’s extremely hard for offensive lineman to consistently block him one-on-one because of his unusual amount of twitch and advanced pass rushing repertoire. He explodes out of his stance and always manages to maintain exceptional leverage when bull-rushing. Ika also possesses an above-average level of lateral quickness, which enables him to influence the movement of offensive lineman with excellent head fakes. This also contributes to his ability to maintain half-man leverage and negate blocking angles for the offensive lineman. Ironically, Ika’s best quality might be his pass rushing ability despite his gargantuan size and stature.
Run Defense: Naturally, Ika is an excellent run-stopper. He knows how to use leverage to control and disengage, while being able to track the ball at a high level. He also has exceptional lower body strength that provides the ability to consistently anchor at the point of attack, as well as lateral quickness and balance to combat zone blocking assignments.
Versatility: He has the athletic ability and football IQ to effectively play in both a 4-3 and 3-4 defensive scheme.
Siaki Ika: Notes
- Former 4-star recruit in the 2019 class.
- Racked up 45 QB pressures since the start of the 2021 season.
- Reese’s Senior Bowl invitee as a senior.
- First-team All-Big 12 Honors in 2022.
- 3rd highest pass-rush grade amongst interior defensive lineman as a junior in 2021 with a grade of 85.7 according to PFF.
Projected Round: 2nd round to 3rd round.
Outlook
Siaki Ika’s draft stock is going to be fluctuating quite a bit as we start getting closer to the 2023 NFL Draft, but one thing’s for sure. He’s going to end up being one of the top three to four interior defensive lineman selected. He shows an unorthodox amount of athleticism and versatility to blend in seamlessly to any defensive scheme, which is something that NFL defensive coordinators gravitate towards. He’s projected to be a starting Nose Tackle in a 3-4 scheme, with the ability to play in a 4-3 scheme as well. He was most effective as a 3-technique defensive tackle in Baylor’s 4-3 defense, specifically because they were able to isolate him one-on-one with a Guard. I would expect NFL defensive coordinators to take advantage of this mismatch ideology as well.
