Umunakwe named to Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Watch List
Senior leads the NEC in tackles
Central Connecticut football senior Chizi Umunakwe was added to the 2022 Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Watch List, the organization announced on Thursday. The Blue Devils linebacker was one of 21 FCS players to join the list, which is presented to the national defensive player of the year in college football's Division I subdivision.
A native of the Bronx, NY, Umunakwe is averaging 10.5 tackles per game to lead the NEC and rank fifth in the FCS. He leads the way with 63 total tackles, while his 28 solo stops is second-most in the NEC. Umunakwe is also averaging 1.17 TFL a game, which ranks fourth in the Northeast Conference.
Umunakwe has recorded 14 tackles in each of the past two games, with 10 solo stops. He was named the NEC Defensive Player of the Week following the game versus Brown, in which he had two TFL's amongst his 14 tackles.
Now in his second season with CCSU, Umunakwe has 113 career tackles. He has 13 TFL's as a Blue Devil and four sacks.