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99

Basil Okoye

Defensive tackle · 2nd season
Updated
Height
6-6
Weight
365
Age
24
College
Drafted
Undrafted
Exp
2

Overview

C.J. Okoye, whose legal name is Basil Okoye, is a 6-foot-6, 365-pound defensive lineman from Agbogugu, Nigeria. He did not play college football; he played basketball until he took up football in the summer of 2022.

He entered the NFL in 2023 with the Los Angeles Chargers through the International Player Pathway Program and spent two seasons on their practice squad. Baltimore signed him to a reserve/future contract in January 2025, and he became the first player from the program out of Africa to appear in a regular-season game. He played 13 games for the Ravens in 2025 and had 15 tackles.

The Giants acquired him from Baltimore on Aug. 29, 2026, for a 2028 seventh-round pick.

Frequently asked

Where is C.J. Okoye from, and did he play college football?
C.J. Okoye is from Agbogugu, Nigeria, and did not play college football. He played basketball before taking up football in the summer of 2022, after attending Osi Umenyiora's Uprise football camp, and was named offensive MVP of the first NFL Africa Camp that year.
How did C.J. Okoye get to the NFL?
Okoye joined the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 through the NFL's International Player Pathway Program and spent two seasons on their practice squad. Baltimore signed him to a reserve/future contract in January 2025, and with the Ravens he became the first International Player Pathway player from Africa to appear in a regular-season game.
Did C.J. Okoye get a sack in his first football game?
Yes. In an Aug. 12, 2023, preseason game against the Rams, the first organized football game of his life, Okoye sacked Stetson Bennett on the final defensive play of the Chargers' 34-17 win.
What did the Giants give up for C.J. Okoye?
The Giants acquired Okoye from Baltimore in late August 2026 for a 2028 seventh-round draft pick, reuniting him with coach John Harbaugh. He had 15 tackles in 13 games for the Ravens in 2025.

Also at defensive tackle:Darius Alexander, Bobby Jamison-Travis, DJ Reader