Villanova Univeristy Athletics

CAREER HONORS AND AWARDS
CAA Special Teams Player of the Week	2019: November 11
CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll	Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021
Athletic Director's Honor Roll	Spring 2020, Fall 2020

Villanova: Versatile performer who can play safety and corner … Has a good combination of speed and athleticism … Slated as the starter at one of the safety positions … Can also serve as a kick returner.
 
2020 (Spring 2021): Started all four games at safety and was one of four players on the team to have at least 20 tackles on the season … Recorded 21 total stops with 11 solo tackles and 10 assisted tackles … Had 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack … Registered one pass breakup … Returned one kickoff for 16 yards; at Stony Brook (3/6): Recorded six tackles in the season opener, including four solo stops and two assisted tackles … Was credited with a tackle for loss and half a sack for a loss of three yards; Rhode Island (3/13): Had a season-high eight total tackles (six solo, two assisted) in the Wildcats home opener … Also returned a kickoff for 16 yards in the game; at Maine (4/3): Tallied one solo tackle and two assisted stops to go along with a pass breakup; Delaware (4/17): Recorded four assisted tackles, including half a sack for a loss of two yards, in the season finale.
 
2019: Played in 11 games with 10 starts on the year … Ranked third on the team with 58 total tackles, including 31 solo stops and 27 assisted tackles … His five pass breakups were tied for third on the squad … Had one tackle for loss, a fumble recovery and an interception on the year … Returned four kickoffs for 161 yards, including a 100-yard touchdown return … Averaged 40.3 yards per return thanks to the 100-yard play; at Colgate (8/24): Registered six tackles (four solo, two assisted) and a pass breakup in the season opener; Lehigh (9/7): Recorded two solo tackles and three assisted stops in the home opener … Returned a kickoff for 24 yards in the contest; at Towson (9/21): Credited with three solo stops and a pass breakup in an overtime road win over the fifth-ranked Tigers; Maine (9/28): Made a career-high 10 tackles, including three solo stops and seven assisted tackles, to go along with a pass breakup; at William & Mary (10/5): Had four tackles (two solo, two assisted) and a fumble recovery which he returned for eight yards; The fumble recovery in the first quarter gave the Wildcats possession at the Tribe’s 17-yard line and led to Villanova’s first scoring drive of the game in an eventual 35-28 win; at James Madison (10/12): Totaled nine tackles, including a season-high six solo stops and three assisted tackles … Also had a pass breakup against the Dukes; Stony Brook (10/26): Credited with eight tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup … Recorded four solo stops and four assisted tackles, including the TFL for a loss of three yards; at New Hampshire (11/2): Tallied five solo stops; Richmond (11/9): Opened the game with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown … It was the seventh play and fifth kickoff return of 100 yards or longer in school history, as well as the Wildcats first kickoff return for a touchdown since the 2010 season … The return also marked Awopetu’s third career touchdown, with all three scores coming against Richmond … He returned two interceptions for scores versus the Spiders in 2018 … Became the second player in the Wildcats tenure as an FCS program (since 1985) to have career touchdowns on both defense and special teams … In addition to the big return also had five tackles, including one solo and four assisted, in a 35-28 win … Earned CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week honors after this performance; LIU (11/15): Recorded one solo tackle, two assisted stops and an interception in the game.
 
2018: Played in all 11 games and earned three starts during the year … Became the first Villanova player ever to return two interceptions for touchdowns in the same game when he had a pair of pick-sixes against Richmond … Those were his only two interceptions of the year … Recorded 16 tackles on the season, including 10 solo stops and six assisted tackles … Had half a tackle for loss, one forced fumble and three pass breakups; at Lehigh (9/8): Recorded a solo tackle and a pass breakup in the win over the Mountain Hawks; Towson (9/15): Made one solo tackle; Bucknell (9/22): Recorded an assisted stop in a 49-7 win; at Stony Brook (9/29): Tallied a season-high five tackles, including two solo stops and a season-high three assisted tackles; at Maine (10/6): Was credited with a season-high three solo tackles to go along with a forced fumble; James Madison (10/13): Had one pass breakup versus the Dukes; at Richmond (11/3): Recorded the first two interceptions of his career and returned both for touchdowns of 20 yards and 18 yards, respectively … Villanova had never had the same player record two pick-sixes in a single game but Awopetu accomplished the feat in a span of just over five minutes in the third quarter of a 45-21 victory … The performance marked only the fifth time in CAA Football history that a player had two interception return touchdowns in a game … Made an assisted tackle for a loss of a yard in the game; William & Mary (11/10): Made one solo tackle; at Delaware (11/17): Recorded three total tackles, including two solo tackles and an assisted stop, to go along with a pass breakup in the 42-21 win over the Blue Hens in the season finale.
 
2017: Saw playing time in six games as a redshirt freshman … Appeared on special teams and also returned kickoffs in each of the final four games of the season … Tallied two solo tackles for the season … Returned seven kickoffs for 186 yards, including a long return of 65 yards … Averaged 26.6 yards per return … Made his collegiate debut in the road win at Towson on September 30; Elon (10/28): Returned two kickoffs for 97 yards, including a 65-yard return from the end zone in the fourth quarter which gave the Wildcats possession at the Elon 35-yard line; Richmond (11/4): Recorded a solo stop for the first tackle of his career … Returned a season-high three kickoffs for 54 yards with a long return of 19 yards; at Rhode Island (11/11): Made one solo tackle against the Rams and returned a kickoff for 17 yards; Delaware (11/18): Registered an 18-yard kickoff return in the 28-7 win over Delaware to close the season.
 
2016: Redshirted.
 
Port Richmond High School: Played football and competed on the track & field team during his scholastic career … Earned all-city and all-conference honors in football … Named the defensive MVP of the Fred Fugazzi All-Star Game … As a senior had 11 receiving touchdowns and five interceptions, including one pick-six … In track & field was the Staten Island champion in the 200 meters and the 300 meters.
 
Personal: Born 11/30/98 … Son of Bamidele and Bibihanna Awopetu … Enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.