Over the course of their storied history, the Cerritos College football program has had a long line of defensive linemen who have signed with Division I schools. Already this season, defensive tackle Anthony Shipton has signed with the University of Illinois. Adding to that list is defensive tackle Ikenna Ahumibe, who has signed with Missouri State University, and is the 14th Division I signing from the defensive line in the last 10 years.

Ahumibe, who finished third on the team in tackles as a sophomore, received all-conference special recognition at the conclusion of the 2019 season. He racked up 50 tackles, 7 1/2 tackles for loss, 2 1/2 quarterback sacks and also recorded a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

It may have been his combination of speed and strength that caught the eye of the Bears coaching staff, but Falcon head coach Dean Grosfeld felt his intangibles on and off the field played a large role.

"Ike is a tremendous young man on and off the field," stated Grosfeld. "He's a man of high character, work ethic and dependability. He was a team captain during the 2019 season and was a model of what a teammate should be. His work in the classroom was exceptional and he graduated with a 3.5 GPA."

Although the Bears were a disappointing 1-10 in 2019, that didn't deter Ahumibe from choosing them over other schools that recruited him. He felt it was the best place to continue his education and, along with the current coaching staff, the history of the program was a deciding factor.

"My goal is to really disrupt the play, even if I can't make the tackle," stated Ahumibe (pictured, left, #54). "I want to cause as much mayhem for the offense as I can. My strength on the field is my speed and motor. I'm going to get into the backfield, one way or another, and I'll never give up and will give my all.

His speed was on full display against College of the Desert when he spent most of the night behind the offensive line. He recorded a career-high 2 1/2 tackles for loss on the night, along with 1 1/2 quarterback sacks. One of those resulted in a safety in a 50-7 Falcons win.

"I really think that I've made tremendous strides in becoming a better player," added Ahumibe. (In my) freshman year, I thought of myself as a high energy 'all gas, no brakes' player. And my sophomore year is when my repertoire has improve vastly and all of my skills in aiding me to help the team bring success. I credit (defensive line) coach Davy Gnodle a lot for my success."

"I think that my best quality will definitely be my 'never say die' attitude," continued Ahumibe. "I always pride myself on my work ethic and think that I wouldn't be the player I am, or even make it this far, without it. My presence to cause havoc and disrupt plays are going to be a big plus to Missouri State's defensive plan."

Ahumibe came up big for the Falcons in their final three games of the season, which were all victories. He combined to post 19 stops in those games, which included nine tackles against El Camino College, with four of them being solo stops. The two-year starter also registered a career-high 10 tackles against crosstown rival Long Beach City College.