Why the Kansas State game means so much to TCU linebacker Namdi Obiazor
When TCU football faces Kansas State, it won’t just be a rematch of the 2022 Big 12 title game or a payback opportunity for the Horned Frogs after a blowout loss in 2023.
It’ll also be a battle between brothers, as TCU linebacker Namdi Obiazor will face his younger brother, Kansas State defensive end Chiddi Obiazor, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Manhattan, Kansas.
The two played each other in 2023, with Chiddi earning the bragging rights with Kansas State’s 41-3 win, but Chiddi was just a freshman who was waiting his turn to play.
Now, the redshirt sophomore is a key cog for the Wildcats’ defense just like Namdi has emerged as one of TCU’s defensive leaders. With both expected to play major snaps Saturday, it’ll make the game a special occasion for both.
“It’ll be good to play my brother. I’ve got a lot of family and friends coming to that game,” Namdi said Tuesday. “We played them two years ago, and he was a true freshman so he didn’t get a ton of playing time back then. So this is going to be the first time we’re actually playing against each other.”
From Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Growing up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, about 25 minutes southwest of Minneapolis, the Obiazor brothers always envisioned that football would take them this far.
Some siblings become closer as they become older, with the younger sibling evolving from a lovable but annoying nuisance to a best friend. It wasn’t like that for the Obiazors. They were always close, with sports, and football in particular, being a unifying factor.
“We were always close. Me and my brother were closer than we were with our two sisters,” Chiddi said in a phone interview. “We were boys just growing up playing football, track or basketball, whatever it was, just competing.”
The Obiazors knew they would make it to this point, but took different paths to reach the Big 12. For Namdi his path was always going to be football, but it was a different story for the 6-foot-6 Chiddi, who towered over the 6-3 Namdi despite the two-year age gap.
“He was more of a tight end playing offense, and he was kind of skinnier, too,” Namdi said. “He was playing basketball all through high school, and that was his main thing. He was a hooper because he was just taller, and then K-State got him as a defensive lineman, and that’s when he put all that weight on.”
Chiddi was listed at 240 pounds on his 247Sports recruiting profile when he committed to Kansas State and joined the Wildcats’ signing class of 2023.
Now he’s listed at 275 pounds, but still maintains the agility he learned on the basketball court. Why make the transition from the court to the gridiron?
Part of it was seeing his older brother live out his dreams.
“It was probably my junior year going into senior year, I was picking up a lot of offers and attention from both, but mainly football,” Chiddi said. “I got to the point where I was like, you can find a 6-6 basketball player to dunk the ball anywhere, but when you go on the football field and find someone that is 6-6 and can move like a basketball player, it’s a little harder to find.
“It also helped seeing my older brother live out the dreams that we had. Seeing him do it made me think I could do it, too, and I also didn’t want to let him down. I wanted to keep it in the family.”
Another key difference in their college football journeys was their recruitments. Namdi was an undersized defensive back who had to go the junior college route to get his opportunity.
Namdi became an All-American after playing two seasons at Iowa Western and eventually signed with TCU before the 2022 season. Obiazor played in every game that season and started twice as the Horned Frogs surprised the country by reaching the national title game.
TCU didn’t recruit Chiddi Obiazor
Meanwhile, Chiddi was picking up offers from Kansas State, Minnesota and Tulane, among many others. One notable offer he didn’t receive was from TCU despite him camping in Fort Worth and earning offers from other programs.
Chiddi is happy at Kansas State, but admitted he was bummed out for a while at the missed opportunity to finally play with his older brother.
“I felt a way. I had been on a couple different visits to TCU. I was hoping I could go to that camp and pick up the offer and play with my brother,” Chiddi said. “That’s always been a dream of mine, and I’m sure it’s one of his, too.”
Despite not getting the offer, Chiddi’s work ethic never wavered. He committed to the Wildcats in July 2022 and began to put all his focus into being ready to make the transition from Minnesota high school football to the Big 12.
Seeing how his brother approached his craft made Namdi a proud older brother.
“His work ethic is crazy. He’s a dude that pushes me for real,” Namdi said. “I’m seeing him get all big and strong, and I’m just like, I can’t let my little brother outdo me. I try to just give him advice on the things I been through, but as far as the physical in football, I feel like he’s got me beat. He pushes me to be better.”
As most younger brothers do, Chiddi picked up those hardworking habits from watching Namdi. Certain things in the weight room and on the football field came more naturally to Chiddi because of his size.
It was harder for Namdi, but it never deterred him.
“I had it a little bit easier than him, coming out of high school he was a lot smaller. I think he was like 5-10,” Chiddi said. “He grew like three inches after high school. He went the JUCO route, worked his tail off and ended up going to a Power Four school. Seeing how hard he worked, he never wavered and never thought he wasn’t going to make it.
“That gave me the same confidence and belief that I could do it. I was a little more blessed with my height and my weight, so I was able to go P4 after high school, but he always kept it real with me and told me what I needed to do.”
Namdi has come a long way from those junior college days. He was just named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after having 10 tackles, an interception, sack and forced fumble in TCU’s win over Colorado. He has 34 tackles and two sacks this season.
Chiddi has gone from a former basketball player to being honorable mention Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2024 and now leads Kansas State’s edge rushers in snaps. He has 12 tackles and a sack this season.
It’s been a long journey with different paths for the Obiazor brothers, and Saturday will just be the latest chapter in a saga neither one thinks is close to ending.
“We’re both trying to play in the [NFL] together, and this is just one step closer,” Namdi said.
