Two of the candidates for the right tackle job this offseason, Nicholas Petit-Frere and Jaelyn Duncan, have not been able to practice due to injury, and that has opened the door for John Ojukwu — and he’s making the most of the opportunity.
With Duncan and NPF sidelined, the second-year offensive lineman, who was a UDFA signing of the Titans in 2023, has been getting the first-team reps at right tackle.
Head coach Brian Callahan admits that he didn’t know much about the Boise State product upon arriving in Tennessee, but he’s been surprised by how well Ojukwu has done, both in the meeting room and on the practice field.
“He’s doing everything that you’d want a player in that situation to do,” Callahan said. “He takes it very serious, he’s outstanding in the meeting room, he’s taken the scheme and he’s learned it. I’ve been really surprised. He’s a guy that I didn’t know much about, and as he’s gotten more opportunities, he’s started to show up. When you’re a guy in that position, that’s all you can ask for. And so, he keeps stacking good days together, and so, again, we’ll see when we get to training camp what that looks like. But he’s done everything you can possibly do with an opportunity that he’s been given and that’s always good to see.”
Ojukwu didn’t get many opportunities during his rookie season, despite the mess that was the team’s offensive line. This year, he has a shot to land a reserve role, and he might find himself in the starting competition if he can continue to impress moving forward.
