For a defense that might struggle to deal with All-ACC safety Matt Daniels leaving for the NFL and injuries to starters redshirt senior Jordan Byas and junior Kelby Brown, there is some good news—redshirt senior Kenny Anunike is feeling good and is ready to make a big impact on the field this season.
Despite the pain of tearing his ACL for a second time, forcing a second redshirt season, the fifth-year junior has a positive outlook for the upcoming year.
“It’s been a long road to recovery—about 10 to 11 months now,” he said. “It was an unfortunate accident, but I believe everything happens for a reason.”
For a team that registered only 17 sacks on the year—ranked 94th in the nation—the presence of a dominant pass-rusher could make a huge difference. And last year Anunike was dominant, leading the team in sacks despite going down with a torn ACL just six plays into week four.
“He’s physical, he’s powerful and he’s got great pass rush skills,” head coach David Cutcliffe said. “He’s got great speed and quickness. You just hope it comes to fruition.”
Two of those sacks came on future No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Luck, a quarterback who played behind a dominant offensive line at Stanford. For the year, the Cardinal allowed just 11 sacks, seventh in the nation.
“I want to get back to that guy that I was in 2011,” Anunike said. “That was unfortunately cut short, but I still… look at all the things that I was doing well and build upon that. Even though my knee was hurt, my heart wasn’t hurt. My pride was still there. The fire and intensity that I bring to the game was still all there.”
If Anunike continues to perform at the level he showed himself capable of last year, he will draw plenty of attention. He hopes to play in the NFL, if put up consistently in a BCS conference, numbers like Anunike’s generally get pro scouts to take notice. But it also draws double teams from opposing offenses.
“[Double teams] will give my other defensive linemen a chance to get back there in the backfield. It’s not all about me—it’s about our team,” Anunike said. “It’s about whoever can get to the quarterback and wreak havoc in the backfield.”
In the secondary, the Blue Devils always appreciate contributions from Anunike and his linemates.
“It makes playing defensive back easy when the linebackers and defensive linemen are getting to the quarterback,” senior safety and defensive captain Walt Canty said. “It forces him to make decisions that he doesn’t want to make. That’s when we try to turn those bad decisions into turnovers.”
Even before playing a snap, though, Anunike has made his presence felt.
“His leadership role is very important,” Canty said. “The energy he brings to the defense every snap is something for the young guys to look up to. They see him going after the ball, chasing hard from the back side, and speaking and getting everybody going during practice. I feel like that’s something we need.”
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