Houston Texans defensive end Charles Omenihu has been flying under the radar at a national level since he came into the league as a fifth-round pick from Texas in 2019. However, the spotlight may be starting to turn his way in 2021.
According to Doug Farrar of the Touchdown Wire, Omenihu earned a spot on their “secret superstars” list for the second week of preseason.
A fifth-round pick in 2019 out of Texas, Omenihu has enjoyed two nice NFL seasons as a rotational inside/outside pass disruptor. He’s flown under the radar in the Texans’ franchise disarray, but at the very least, he should get more recognition on a Houston roster that’s full of twos and threes, with very few ones.
Omenihu was certainly on point last week against the Cowboys, with two sacks and three stops. The same guy who had 32 total pressures on 340 pass-rushing snaps in 2020 could be even better in 2021.
Charles Omenihu (@charless_94) is having a huge game with two sacks and a recovered fumble. pic.twitter.com/Ao0Tky73SQ
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) August 22, 2021
Defensive tackle Maliek Collins knows how well Omenihu can play, and outlined it for reporters on Monday after practice at NRG Stadium.
“He’s strong, he can bend,” Collins said. “Yeah, man, he’s a great player. You’ve seen it on Saturday whenever we played, a glimpse of what he can be. He’s going to continue to work and develop to be that.”
The Texans take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Central Time in NRG Stadium. Omenihu could be a secret superstar by the end of that week with another big performance.