.jpg) Ezeiruaku with theDallas Cowboys in 2025 | |||||||||
| No. 41 – Dallas Cowboys | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end | ||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (2003-09-25)September 25, 2003 (age 22) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 248 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Williamstown (NJ) | ||||||||
| College | Boston College (2021–2024) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2025: 2nd round, 44th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||
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Donovan Kanayochukwu Ezeiruaku[1] (Ezz-ah-RAH-koo; born September 25, 2003) is an American professionalfootballdefensive end for theDallas Cowboys of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theBoston College Eagles and was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the2025 NFL draft.
Ezeiruaku won the 2024Ted Hendricks Award.
Ezeiruaku was born on September 25, 2003, inPhiladelphia and grew up inWilliamstown, New Jersey.[2][3] He attendedWilliamstown High School and as a senior in 2021, recorded 47 tackles, including nine tackles for loss, and two sacks while leading his team to a 7–2 record.[4] Ezeiruaku committed to playcollege football atBoston College over schools such asNorthern Illinois,Temple andVanderbilt.[5]
As a freshman in2021, Ezeiruaku racked up 19 tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks.[6]
In the2022 season opener, Ezeiruaku recorded nine tackles with two being for a loss, a sack, and two forced fumbles in a loss toRutgers.[7] In week ten, he had seven tackles with two being for a loss, a sack, and a forced fumble in a loss toDuke.[8] In the season finale, Ezeiruaku tallied nine tackles with three going for a loss,[citation needed] and 2.5 sacks, but Boston College lost toSyracuse 32–23.[9][10] He finished the season with 61 tackles with 14.5 going for a loss, 8.5 sacks, two pass deflections, and three forced fumbles,[11] earning second-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honors.[12]
Ezeiruaku was named preseason first-team all-ACC ahead of the2023 season.[13] In week 5 againstVirginia, he recorded 6 total tackles, and 2 sacks. The following week againstArmy Ezeiruaku had five total tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. The Eagles finished with an upset win in theFenway Bowl against the No. 24SMU Mustangs.
To start the season, the Eagles upset the No. 10Florida State Seminoles 28–13, in which Ezeiruaku recorded four total tackles and two sacks. In Week 5 againstWestern Kentucky, Ezeiruaku recorded 14 total tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The following week againstVirginia, Ezeiruaku recorded 10 total tackles and a sack. In Week 13 againstNorth Carolina, Ezeiruaku had two sacks and six total tackles. The following week againstPittsburgh, he recorded 3.5 sacks, putting him with 16.5 sacks on the season, tying the record held byHarold Landry for the most sacks in a season inBoston College football history. He was named 2024ACC Defensive Player of the Year and was awarded theTed Hendricks Award as the nation's top defensive end.[14]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft2+1⁄2 in (1.89 m) | 248 lb (112 kg) | 34 in (0.86 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 4.19 s | 6.94 s | 35.5 in (0.90 m) | 9 ft 11 in (3.02 m) | 22 reps | ||||
| All values fromNFL Combine[15][16] | ||||||||||||
Ezeiruaku was selected with the 44th pick in the2025 NFL draft by theDallas Cowboys.[17] He recorded the first sack of his professional career on October 19, 2025, againstMarcus Mariota of theWashington Commanders.[18]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | QBHits | Sfty | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | TD | PD | ||
| 2025 | DAL | 10 | 2 | 25 | 16 | 9 | 2.0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 10 | 2 | 25 | 16 | 9 | 2.0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |