Febechi Nwaiwu

Febechi Nwaiwu, a Coppell, Texas, native of Nigerian descent, played at Coppell High School and walked on at North Texas. With the Mean Green from 2021 to 2023 he played 28 games (22 starts), earned Freshman All-America and Conference USA All-Freshman honors in 2022, and was third-team All-AAC in 2023. He transferred to Oklahoma, started all 13 games in 2024, and in the 2025 regular-season finale against LSU he made his first college start at center. His 2025 season brought first-team All-America and second-team All-SEC honors, the Don Key Award, and a spot as a Burlsworth Award finalist, which goes to the nation's top player who began as a walk-on. Houston took him in the fourth round, 106th overall, in 2026, and he is active with the Texans. Tidbit: professional wrestler Raquel Rodriguez announced his draft pick. The Oklahoma Daily wrote on December 22, 2023: "At 6-foot-4, 316 pounds, Nwaiwu was a third-team All-American Athletic Conference selection in 2023 despite dealing with injuries." The Tulsa World wrote on December 10, 2025: "Nwaiwu, Oklahoma's starting right guard, was one of three finalists for the award given annually to the top college player who began their career as a walk-on."