Esonwune’s Extra Work Fuels UAB Defensive Rebuild

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - September 3, 2026

Ike Esonwune’s post-practice routine stayed consistent throughout UAB’s spring practice and fall camp. While some of his teammates worked on fundamentals and others headed to the shower, UAB’s defensive leader would move to the outdoor practice field and run a series of sideline-to-sideline sprints under the hot sun.

Skipping days was not an option for the 6-foot-1, 225-pound redshirt junior from Manor, Texas.

“I’m just trying to get one percent better every day,” Esonwune said.

The formula for that doesn’t just include extra running after hard practices. It also includes 500 sit ups every night and around 200 pushups, mostly on weekend nights. He admits that his teammates often are surprised when they first learn of the routine.

“When were back at (American Conference) Media Day, Ryder (Burton), saw me on the ground doing a sit-up,” Esonwune said. “He was like ‘What are you doing?’ I told him I do 500 every day. He was like, ‘Bro, you need to rest.’ I was just like, ‘It's a natural thing with me.’”

The work – whether it be on the field or off – was put in to be ready for game days. The first one kicks off on Thursday night at 8 p.m. CST in Champaign, Ill. against an Illinois team that is coming off 19 wins and back-to-back bowl victories SEC opponents. It will be a difficult test for a UAB team that has more than 60 new players on a roster put together by a head coach – Alex Mortensen – opening his first season at the helm of a program. Oddsmakers placed Illinois as a four-touchdown favorite.

For the UAB defense, it’s the first chance to show that they aren’t the same group that was one of the worst units in the country the past three seasons. Mortensen brought in defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and a defensive staff that returns only secondary coach Brent Vieselmeyer, defensive line coach Sam Mills III and defensive ends coach John Jones from last season. The training camp reviews have been favorable.

“They're gonna make you earn everything,” said UAB quarterback Ryder Burton, who has been working against the defense since spring practice.  “There isn't gonna be a bunch of explosives. There isn't gonna be a lot of easy access completion throws. They’re gonna play hard. They're gonna play together, they're gonna play as a group and then on top of that you have to earn everything against those 11. They really understand what Coach Grantham's trying to do, what his intent of play is. And I feel like in years past a little bit, we've kind of played bend-don't-break.”

At the center of it all is Esonwune, who plays the Money linebacker position. He not only had the advantage of learning Grantham’s defensive system and coaching style last year at Oklahoma State but he also did what he could do to help out his new teammates as they learned the system. It didn’t take long to see that he would be one of the team’s leaders.

He said the growth of the defense has come in a series of steps.

“I feel like spring was get to know each other,” Esonwune said. “Going into fall camp and going into the first week of the game, I feel like is figuring out who wants to put it on the line. You know, our coach always says put on film who you are. Not just who you are as a player, but who you are to your team. When we watch that film the next day are we gonna see that you gave it your all? Are you willing to put it on the line for the next player or the teammates who are beside you?”

Those questions will be answered tonight against a challenging offense led by East Carolina transfer Katin Houser and elusive running back Ca’Lil Valentine. There will also be a ton of unknowns for both teams considering it’s a season opener in a college football world of rosters that change yearly.

“I feel like every team has a scheme that they like to run and like to stay true to, because this is who they are,” Esonwune said. “I don't feel like they're gonna change that for anybody. I feel like they feel like they have a little. There'll be little wrinkles here and there, but at the same time I feel like they're gonna stay true to who they are. And we have to learn how to adjust to that within the game and within every quarter we play against them.”