AMES – Iowa State football player Ikenna Ezeogu realized his passion for Chipotle had reached another level when the restaurant employees recognized him from a previous trip earlier in the week.

“They know me so well to where I’ll go in and they’ll be like, ‘Make sure you get your app,’” Ezeogu said with a smile.

Chipotle meals are helping the redshirt sophomore put on some much-needed weight. The defensive end from Blue Springs, Mo., hopes to tack on even more pounds this offseason as he prepares to be a bigger and tougher part of Iowa State’s defensive line in 2024.

“It can help me a lot,” he said of the added weight.

Ezeogu is coming off a surprising season of sorts in 2023. He was part of the second unit of Iowa State’s defensive line as a redshirt freshman, tallying 16 tackles including one sack. Ezeogu also had three pass breakups and two quarterback hurries.

The contributions far exceeded anything Iowa State defensive line coach Eli Rasheed expected out of Ezeogu last season. Ezeogu, a four-star recruit out of high school, redshirted his freshman season in Ames and had made enough strides to earn some playing time last season.

“I didn’t go into the season thinking that I would play Ike as much as we did, but he kept developing into a guy that we couldn’t take off the field,” Rasheed said. “So he’s done a great job of working himself into the lineup.”

Ezeogu credits hard work on and off the field for his rapid rise. As he watched film and asked questions, Ezeogu understood what the Cyclones were trying to do on defense. His confidence soared. Then his playing time increased.

“I’m a competitive guy,” Ezeogu said. “I wanted to make sure I earned my spot and I wanted to keep my spot. “

But the work is far from done for Ezeogu, who is hoping to take on an even bigger role for Iowa State’s defense in 2024. The best way to do that is to, well, get bigger himself. Ezeogu, who finished last season at around 265 pounds, said he is up to 270. Rasheed believes it’s even more than that.

And a steady supply of Chipotle food is a major reason.

“I like to eat Chipotle a lot,” Ezeogu said.

Ezeogu said he approached a nutritionist when he came back to school in the winter about trying to tack on some important pounds. Chipotle, his go-to spot for lunch in high school, was seen as a good option. So Ezeogu began hitting it up more and more in Ames.

He said he eats there every other day. Ezeogu always leaves with his hands full of food, grabbing not one but two burritos for the day. His order includes double rice, double chicken, veggies, queso dip, spicy sauce, sour cream, cheese and corn.

“I’m loading up,” he said.

He doesn’t stop with Chipotle, either. Ezeogu will eat whatever the team gets at lunch and dinner. Then, later at night, he’ll gulp down a bowl of noodles and polish it off with his second burrito.

“I don’t really try to go out of my comfort zone and try to eat cheeseburgers,” Ezeogu said. “I barely eat cheeseburgers.”

The feasting has paid off. Ezeogu said that while he’s added some size and strength, he hasn’t lost any quickness. That combination could make him an even more valuable player for Iowa State’s defense, which continually rotated defensive linemen throughout the season.

Ezeogu’s improvements could make him a permanent part of the line.

But there’s still growing to be done, not just physically but also mentally. Rasheed said Ezeogu needs to continue to grow his football IQ. If he can do that, then the Cyclones may have a future star.  

“Honestly, he has all the talent to be a difference-maker,” Rasheed said.

Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.