A seventh-round pick out of Maryland who was cut by two teams before landing in Buffalo, Tommy Akingbesote is fighting to stick as an interior run-stuffer.
Tommy Akingbesote switched from basketball to football only as a junior in high school, but the move paid off with a Division I scholarship and eventually an NFL draft selection. The 6-foot-4, 316-pound defensive tackle has had a bumpy rookie journey through Dallas and Carolina before settling in with the Bills.
Path to the league
A District Heights, Maryland native, Akingbesote played four seasons for the Maryland Terrapins from 2021 to 2024, finishing with 77 tackles, four sacks and eight tackles for loss. He started all 12 games as a senior in 2024, leading the team's defensive linemen with 32 tackles, and the Dallas Cowboys selected him in the seventh round (247th overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Akingbesote's production peaked as a senior at Maryland, where his 32 tackles led all Terrapins defensive linemen. He only converted from basketball to football as a high school junior at Charles Herbert Flowers High School, viewing it as his best path to a college scholarship, which makes his draft selection notable.
2025 season recap
Akingbesote was released by Dallas during final roster cuts on August 26, 2025, then signed with Carolina's practice squad on September 8 before being let go on September 23. He caught on with Buffalo's practice squad on October 28, 2025, and signed a reserve/futures contract with the Bills in January 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Tommy Akingbesote
- Buffalo Rumblings: Buffalo Bills sign DT Tommy Akingbesote on October 28
- ESPN: Tommy Akingbesote
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- Maryland
- Hometown
- Largo, MD, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
