| No. 74 – Carolina Panthers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive tackle [1] |
| High school | Charles Herbert Flowers (Prince George's County, Maryland) |
| College | Maryland (2021–2024) |
| NFL draft | 2025: 7th round, 247th overall |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 25, 2003 Largo, Maryland, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 306 lb (139 kg) |
| Career history | |
| |
Roster status: Practice squad | |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Olatunbosun "Tommy" Akingbesote (born February 25, 2003) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Akingbesote was born on February 25, 2003, and grew up in District Heights, Maryland. [2] He grew up playing basketball before switching to playing football as a junior at Charles Herbert Flowers High School as it gave him a better chance to receive a college scholarship. [2] He was ranked a four-star prospect as well as a top-20 defensive lineman nationally, and Akingbesote committed to play college football for the Maryland Terrapins. [2] [3]
Akingbesote enrolled at Maryland in June 2021. [2] As a freshman that year, he appeared in seven games, totaling three solo tackles. [4] He appeared in 12 games, two as a starter, in 2022, posting 14 tackles and two sacks. [5] He then recorded 28 tackles, two passes defended, a sack and a blocked field goal during the 2023 season. [2] [4] [6] As a senior in 2024, he started all 12 games and was the leader among the team's defensive linemen with 32 tackles. [7] He also recorded five tackles-for-loss (TFLs) and one sack. [4] He competed at the 2025 East–West Shrine Bowl at the conclusion of his collegiate career. [8] He finished his tenure at Maryland having appeared in 44 games, recording 77 tackles, eight TFLs, four sacks and two passes defended. [4]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+3⁄4 in (1.92 m) | 306 lb (139 kg) | 33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) | 10 in (0.25 m) | 5.09 s | 1.77 s | 2.95 s | 4.76 s | 29.5 in (0.75 m) | 8 ft 7 in (2.62 m) | |||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day [9] [10] | ||||||||||||
Akingbesote was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round (247th overall) of the 2025 NFL draft. [1] He was waived on August 26 as part of final roster cuts. [11]
On September 8, 2025, Akingbesote was signed to the Carolina Panthers practice squad. [12]
He saw himself as a basketball player before making the switch to football as a junior at Charles Herbert Flowers High, because that was his best chance at a college scholarship.