Otaro Alaka

Auburn

Sep 27 (Sat)

Afternoon

Photo by: Sam Craft/Texas A&M Athletics

Photo by: Garrett Terry/Texas A&M Athletics

Photo by: Sam Craft/Texas A&M Athletics

Photo by: Sam Craft/Texas A&M Athletics

Photo by: Thomas Campbell/Texas A&M Athletics

Photo by: Russell James/Texas A&M Athletics

Photo by: Thomas Campbell/Texas A&M Athletics

Photo by: Patric Schneider/A&M Athletics

Photo by: Texas A&M Athletics

Height:
6-3
Weight:
240
Position:
Linebacker
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Houston, Texas
High School:
Cypress Falls

• Senior leader that will anchor the A&M defensive unit after starting 33 games in career.
• Leads all returners in starts, games played, tackles, tackles-for-loss and forced fumbles.

2018 (SENIOR): Started all 12 games and led the team with 79 total tackles and topped the defense with 14.5 TFL totaling 52 yards … registered four sacks and forced a fumble … Led the team with 10 tackles and two and a half tackles for a loss against No. 2 Clemson ... tallied six tackles and a tackle for a four-yard loss against No. 1 Alabama … tied for team lead with seven total tackles, along with registering three solo tackles, a tackle for a loss and a pass break up against Arkansas … tallied six total tackles, two tackles for a loss, a sack for a nine-yard loss, and a forced fumble against No. 13 Kentucky … compiled five solo tackles and a quarterback hurry versus South Carolina … led the Aggies with nine tackles and two tackles for a loss against Mississippi State … paced the defense with 11 tackles, six solo tackles, and a sack for a nine-yard loss against Ole Miss … recorded 11 tackles, five solo tackles, and two sacks, one of which came on third down in overtime to force the field goal attempt, against No. 8 LSU … named to the Butkus Award Watch List … named the College Sports Madness National and SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance vs. LSU … given the Strength and Conditioning Defensive Aggie Award and the Defense Unselfish Leadership Award at the team’s annual banquet.

2017 (JUNIOR): Started all 13 games at linebacker and ranked third on the team with 78 tackles and was second with 5.5 sacks … topped the defense with 12.0 TFL totaling 57 yards … registered five or more tackles in ten games … recorded a career-high 12 tackles with a sack in the Aggies’ win at Florida … intercepted his first career pass against Mississippi State … notched a career-high 5.0 TFL, including 2.0 sacks versus South Carolina.

2016 (SOPHOMORE): Finished the season third on the team in tackles with 74, including 30 solo stops ... had two or more tackles in every game, including more than five in nine contests ... registered 9.0 tackles for loss with two coming via QB sack ... totaled 20 tackles in the final two games of 2016 with a career-high 11 vs. LSU and nine vs. Kansas State ... registered 1.5 TFLs at South Carolina to go along with seven tackles ... posted his first career sack against New Mexico State (Oct. 29) ... forced a fumble and recorded seven tackles against Alabama (Oct. 22).

2015: Was granted a medical redshirt after playing only sparingly early in the season before succumbing to a season-ending injury ... saw action in three games and made starts against Nevada and Arkansas before being shut down for the season ... made a season-high seven tackles against Nevada and had four stops off the bench against Ball State ... finished with 12 tackles, including one tackle for loss ... also deflected a pass in the endzone against Nevada.

2014 (FRESHMAN): Earned Defensive MVP honors in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl after recording a season high seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss against West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl ... came on strong in the second half of the season with five starts to finish out the season ... had three or more tackles in the last six games ... finished with 33 tackles, including 21 solo hits in 12 games (five starts) ... had six tackles in his debut start against ULM ... contributed four solo tackles and two forced fumbles in road upset of No. 3 Auburn ... finished with 3.5 TFLs -- one vs. Auburn, one vs. Missouri and 1.5 vs. West Virginia.

HIGH SCHOOL: Coached by Kirk Eaton at Cypress Falls HS in Houston, Texas. ... chose Texas A&M over Texas, Florida State, LSU, Michigan and Oklahoma among others ... as a senior, Alaka made 88 tackles, including 20 total tackles for loss and 11 QB sacks ... as a junior, Alaka contributed 36 tackles, 12 total tackles for loss and three sacks. ... was a consensus four-star recruit.