NORMAN — Adding weight is a focus for most players during the offseason. But for Adepoju Adebawore, it was basically a second job.
While Adebawore wanted to improve in a lot of areas after a solid freshman campaign in 2023, the ultimate goal was essentially eating non-stop. Brent Venables was almost personally invested in Adebawore's weight gain, and the OU head coach even joked that he "threw" Adebawore on the scale before SEC Media Days last month.
Adebawore took that seriously.
“Just eating. Eating. Lifting," Adebawore said of his offseason goals. "Taking it serious, and having no off days with it. Just being committed to my goal.
"I think I worked hard in the weight room and just eating to put more weight on so I could just hang around more with the bigger guys.”
Weight has always been a bit of question for the former five-star defensive end. Adebawore's always stood out for his 6-foot-4 frame and length, but at 240 pounds there's always been a question about how much success he'd have on the defensive line, particularly in the SEC.
Adebawore was successful in gaining weight. Though listed at 251 pounds on the official fall roster, both he and Venables said he's hovering around 260 — a 20-pound difference from last season. But it wasn't easy.
"When you eat so much, there’s really nothing good anymore," Adebawore said. "... It was honestly annoying. It was a grind."
Now, Adebawore is hoping that grind will pay off this season.
Especially with added size, Adebawore is a prime breakout candidate heading into his sophomore year. Adebawore saw rare playing time as a freshman — he appeared in all 13 games last season, finishing with six tackles, threke tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 175 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Bowen and Adebawore were the only true freshmen that played all 13 games for the Sooners last season.
Expectations are even higher for Adebawore this season. Despite a loaded defensive end group that includes returners Ethan Downs, R Mason Thomas and Trace Ford, and the addition of veteran Caiden Woullard, Adebawore's size and length should have him in line for a bigger role this season, particularly as a pass-rusher.
Plus, he's already noticed the impact his weight gain has had on his game.
“Whenever I (go) to strike an O-lineman, maybe they just get pushed back further, and I just notice, ‘Oh, my weight really impacted,'" Adebawore said. "I can just tell by the way I strike and the movement I get up front.”
His teammates have high expectations for him, too. That includes veteran linebacker Danny Stutsman, who praised Adebawore's versatile skill set while also noting the differences in his on-field and off-field personalities.
"Have you seen that guy? It’s hard not to be amazed by him," Stutsman said. "But his personality is one of a kind. It’s a dude that — we went skeet shooting the other day, and then me and PJ and some other guys went to a PBR (Pro Bullriding Rodeo), and that guy’s horrified of guns and bulls. It’s funny to see because when that guy’s on the field, he’s an absolute monster. He’s a terror. But to see him outside of football, ‘All right, this guy’s human, he gets scared around a bull.’ But he’s a generational athlete. He’s a freak of nature.
"You see some of these pass rush moves that he does throughout practice, you watch the film and you can’t teach that, the way he moves, how fluid he is with his motions. It’s amazing. It’s great to watch. On third down, to have packages and bring him in to see what he can do, it’s gonna be huge for us."
Fellow true sophomore Bowen has also noticed a difference in Adebawore.
"I think PJ’s gonna be a really excellent player," Bowen said. "He’s got the physique, he’s gained some weight... He’s an animal, and I can see that he’s getting that mental side as well, and I think he’s out for a breakout year. In my opinion, he’s gonna do really great."
It's been a grind of an offseason for Adebawore has he's prepared to build on a solid freshman season, and there's one thing driving him as the Sooners prepare for their first season in the SEC.
"I just want to be a guy who’s considered a true factor on the team."
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