Gilbert Ibeneme
Gilbert Ibeneme was the program’s top-rated signee in the class of 2019. But despite the fact that last year’s team was woefully thin at every defensive line position, the Houston native did not see the field last year.
That wasn’t his fault though. A shoulder injury sustained early in fall camp ended his season before it even began and dealt a huge blow to the defense’s hopes of being able to compete on a weekly basis in the pass-happy Big 12.
Rated as the No. 33 strongside DE in the nation by 247Sports, he was a huge recruit for the Red Raiders. Committing to the Kliff Kingsbury staff and staying with Matt Wells through the coaching transition, he also held offers from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Minnesota, Ole Miss, TCU, and Texas A&M.
Now, after a year of waiting to see what he can bring to the table, Red Raider fans are excited about the opportunity to see Ibeneme in action. At 6-foot-3 and 275-pounds, he’s up to the perfect size to play DE in Tech’s 3-man defensive line.
Could he be the answer that Tech has been looking for when it comes to finding a consistent pass rusher to pair with senior DE Eli Howard this year and become the program leader in that area moving forward? Hopefully. But only time will tell. That’s why keeping an eye on No. 99 this fall will be something many Red Raider fans will be doing.