2025 Football Roster
Jersey Number 39
Kenenna Odeluga
- Position:
- LB
- Class:
- Senior
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 235
- Major:
- Strategic Leadership & Management
- Hometown:
- South Holland, Ill.
- High School:
- Mount Carmel
Pronunciation: kuh-NEN-uh OH-duh-LOO-guh
 University of Illinois Graduate |
 2024 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award |
2025 Senior
- CSC Academic All-District
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Big Ten Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award nominee
- Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nominee
- Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Nominee
- Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
- 13 games played with two starts
- 23 total tackles (13 solo) with 0.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, and one pass breakup
- Four games with a season-high four tackles: Music City Bowl vs. #23 Tennessee (12/30/25), vs. Western Michigan (9/13/25), at #19 Indiana (9/20/25), and at Wisconsin (11/22/25)
- Two tackles and a fumble recovery in rivalry win at Purdue (10/4/25)
2024 Junior
- CSC Academic All-District
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
- Played in 12 games
- Eight tackles (six solo), 3.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks on the season
- Career-high 2.0 sacks against Michigan State (11/16/24)
- 1.0 sack vs. Minnesota (11/2/24)
- Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominee
- Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
- Missed spring practices while recovering from an injury
- EMPOWER Afinity Group Leader
2023 Sophomore
- Academic All-Big Ten
- CSC Academic All-District
- Played in 11 games with five starts at linebacker
- Tied for 2nd in the Big Ten in fumbles recovered (2) during the regular season
- Tied for 5th in the Big Ten in forced fumbles (2) during the regular season
- Highest-graded linebacker in the nation (92.0) in Week 6, per PFF
- Set career-high mark and tied for team lead with 8 tackles (6 solo) at Maryland (10/14/23)
2022 Redshirt Freshman
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Played in all 13 games
- Eight tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, one pass breakup, and two quarterback hurries on the season
- Seventh on the team in TFLs (3.5)
- Sacks against Iowa 10/8/22 and at Nebraska 10/29/22
- Tackles for loss against Iowa 10/8/22, at Nebraska 10/29/22, and at Northwestern 11/26/22
2021 Freshman
- Played in three games and redshirted the season
High School
- State ranks: #81 (247)
- Team went undefeated and won 7A State Championship in 2019
- Help Mount Carmel win back-to-back CCL Blue Division titles
- Two-time CCL-Blue Division All-Conference Team
- 2020-2021 Sun-Times All-Area Team
- Graduated high honors with distinction
- Won the Mount Carmel Zealotus Award
Personal
- Born March 31, 2003
- Son of Kanayo and Chinyere Odeluga
- Has four younger sisters
- Cousin, Abuchi Obinwa, plays professional soccer for FC Tulsa of the USL
- Completed a mission trip to Africa in Summer 2023
- Attended the Black Student-Athlete Summit in Summer 2024
- Chose Illinois because, “It felt like home. The coaches treated me with respect, love, and patience at every turn. My family is able to come watch my games every Saturday which is also a boost.”
- Graduated from the University of Illinois in May 2025 with a degree in finance
- Majoring in strategic leadership & management
Thursday, March 05
Thursday, February 12
Thursday, February 05
Wednesday, January 21
