Hakeem Adeniji

A 2020 sixth-round pick of the Bengals, Adeniji has been thrust into a starting role in place of an injured offensive lineman in each of the past two seasons ... Played in 14 games in the 2022 regular season as a reserve O-lineman, before starting the regular-season finale and all three postseason contests at ROT ... Saw action at G in first time of football career in 2021, serving as Cincinnati's starting RG from Week 9 through Super Bowl LVI ... Spent 2021 training camp and first eight weeks of '21 regular season on Reserve/Non-Football Injury list after suffering torn pectoral muscle in June and having surgery ... Known for athleticism and intelligence, he played OT in high school, college and during his first NFL season ... Was at times thrust into regular action at OT as a rookie in 2020 and performed well, starting five games (three at LOT, one at ROT, and another as an extra blocker in a heavy formation) ... Started all 48 possible games over his four seasons (2016-20) at Kansas; switched between RT and LT early in his career, before settling at LT for his final two seasons.

Pro career:

• A 2020 sixth-round pick of the Bengals, Adeniji has been thrust into a starting role in place of an injured offensive lineman in each of the past two seasons ... Played in 14 games in the 2022 regular season as a reserve O-lineman, before starting the regular-season finale and all three postseason contests at ROT ... Saw action at G in first time of football career in 2021, serving as Cincinnati's starting RG from Week 9 through Super Bowl LVI ... Spent 2021 training camp and first eight weeks of '21 regular season on Reserve/Non-Football Injury list after suffering torn pectoral muscle in June and having surgery
• Known for athleticism and intelligence, he played OT in high school, college and during his first NFL season ... Was at times thrust into regular action at OT as a rookie in 2020 and performed well, starting five games (three at LOT, one at ROT, and another as an extra blocker in a heavy formation) ... Started all 48 possible games over his four seasons (2016-20) at Kansas; switched between RT and LT early in his career, before settling at LT for his final two seasons.

Career transactions:

• Selected by Cincinnati in sixth round of 2020 NFL Draft (180th overall) ... Signed with Bengals on 7-21-20.

2020 Season

• Played in 15 games (five starts) as a rookie ... Made three starts at LOT (Games 8-9 and 13), one at ROT (Game 10), and one as a second TE (Game 3) ... Made first career start on Sept. 27 at Philadelphia as a second TE in a heavy formation ... Made first career start at LOT on Nov. 1 vs. Tennessee, and aided blocking effort that helped Bengals gain a nearly 12-minute edge in time of possession.

2021 Season

• Played and started final nine regular-season games and all four postseason games at RG, helping Bengals to a berth in Super Bowl LVI ... Began season on Reserve/Non-Football Injury list after suffering a torn pectoral muscle in June, but returned in November and immediately entered the starting lineup at RG; It was the first action at G of his football career, after playing OT in high school, college and his first NFL season ... Aided high-powered Bengals offense that helped QB Joe Burrow set team records for passer rating (108.3), passing yards (4611) and passing TDs (34), while also paving the way for HB Joe Mixon's 1205 rushing yards and 16 total TDs ... Aided blocking effort for two of Mixon's 100-yard rushing games — 123 in Game 10 at Las Vegas, and a career-high 165 in Game 11 vs. Pittsburgh.

2022 Season

• Played in 15 regular-season games (one start at ROT) and started all three postseason contests at ROT ... Served as a reserve guard through first 15 games, then took over starting ROT role following La'el Collins' season-ending injury in Game 15 ... Started at ROT in regular-season finale vs. Baltimore ... Started at ROT in three postseason games, opening holes for a run game that recorded 172 rushing yards on 34 carries (5.1 average) in Divisional Playoff at Buffalo.

College:

• Spent four seasons (2016-19) at Kansas, and started all 48 possible games during his career ... Switched between RT and LT early in his career, before settling at LT for his final two seasons ... As a senior, earned All-Big 12 First Team honors (coaches), and Second Team All-Big 12 honors (AP) ... Also a standout in the classroom, he twice earned spots on both Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll and three times landed on the KU Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

High school/personal:

• Hometown is Garland, Texas (outside Dallas) ... Attended Garland High School, where he played DE and OT and earned all-district honors as both a junior and senior ... Also lettered in basketball and track and field (shot put and discus) ... Originally committed to play football at the Air Force Academy, but was denied entry the summer before his freshman year due to a severe cashew allergy; his high school head coach, Jeff Jordan, had just taken a job in Kansas' athletic department and helped secure a spot at KU for Adeniji ... His brother, Moshood, was an offensive lineman at Air Force from 2010-13 ... Graduated from Kansas in May 2019 with degree in management and leadership ... First name is pronounced "hah-KEEM" and last name is pronounced "uh-DENN-ih-gee."