Nik Bonitto

Photo by: Joshua R. Gateley

Photo by: Ty Russell

Position:
OLB
Class:
Redshirt Junior
Height:
6-3
Weight:
240
Hometown:
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
High School:
St. Thomas Aquinas HS

Season	GP-GS	UT	AT	Total	TFL	Sacks	INT	FF	FR	PBU
2018	3-0	2	1	3	0.0-0	0.0-0	0-0	0	0	0
2019	14-8	25	18	43	6.5-38	3.5-36	1-0	0	0	5
2020	10-10	18	14	32	10.5-56	8.0-44	0-0	0	0	2
2021	12-12	23	16	39	15.0-67	7.0-39	0-0	1	3-70	1
Career	39-30	68	49	117	32.0-161	18.5-119	1-0	1	3-70	8

CAREER NOTES
Registered 117 tackles (68 solo), 32 tackles for loss (for 161 yards), 18.5 sacks (for 119 yards), 24 QB hurries, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries in 39 career games ... started each of his final 30 contests ... ranks 13th in school history (third among linebackers) with his 18.5 sacks.

2021
Named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by PFF … a Bednarik Award semifinalist … a midseason All-American by Sporting News and by The Athletic (second team) … an All-Big 12 Second Team selection by league’s coaches and AP … started all 12 games of regular season … posted 39 tackles, 7.0 sacks and team-high 15.0 tackles for loss … also registered three fumble recoveries (tied for third most nationally through regular season), one forced fumble, one pass breakup and team-high nine QB hurries … made four tackles, 2.0 TFLs, one sack and forced one fumble at Oklahoma State (11/27) … recorded five tackles, one sack and a team-high 2.5 tackles for loss vs. Iowa State (11/20) … recovered a fumble, made two tackles and 1.5 TFLs at Baylor (11/13) … Had a team-high 1.5 TFLs to go with five tackles and one sack at Kansas (10/23) … Had five tackles, team-high 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss and five vs. Texas (10/9) … set a school-record with a 70-yard fumble return had four tackles and 2.0 TFLs at Kansas State (10/2) … finished with five tackles, team-high 2.0 sacks and career-high-tying 3.0 TFLs vs. Nebraska (9/18).

2020
A first-team PFF and second-team AP All-American … an Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honoree … started all 10 games in which he played … only missed the Baylor game (12/5) … totaled 32 tackles (18 solo, 14 assists), with 10.5 tackles for loss (for 56 yards), 8.0 sacks (for 44 yards), two pass breakups and a team-high 10 QB hurries ... credited by PFF with the nation's top pressure rate (25.7%; next highest nationally was 22.3%) … also ranked first nationally per PFF among 257 edge rushers in pass-rush grade (93.5) and pass-rush win rate (28.5%) ... recorded three tackles (two solo) with 0.5 sacks in Cotton Bowl win vs. No. 10 Florida (12/30) ... tallied five tackles (three solo), one sack and a QB hurry that led to a game-sealing interception in Big 12 Championship win over No. 8 Iowa State (12/19) … registered five stops (three solo), one sack, a pass breakup and a hurry vs. No. 14 Oklahoma State (11/21) … notched 3.0 sacks for 21 yards, two hurries and four total tackles vs. Kansas (11/7) … had 1.5 TFLs (0.5 sacks) and two QB hurries at Texas Tech (10/31) … tallied five tackles (three solo), and 2.0 sacks vs. No. 22 Texas (10/10) … recorded 1.5 TFLs for 10 yards (two total tackles) vs. Kansas State (9/26) … made three tackles with a QB hurry in season opener vs. Missouri State (9/12).

2019
Played in all 14 games and started each of final eight contests ... registered 43 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks ... six tackles on kickoffs tied for second most on team ... also had an interception and four pass breakups ... made five tackles (2.0 for loss and 1.5 sacks) in Big 12 Championship win against No. 8 Baylor (12/7) ... tallied five tackles (four solo) with a TFL at No. 21 Oklahoma State (11/30) ... notched first career interception to seal OU's win at No. 12 Baylor (11/16) and had three tackles ... recorded five stops (1.0 TFL) against West Virginia (10/19) ... registered four tackles (1.0 sack, 1.5 TFLs) against No. 11 Texas (10/12) ... logged first career sack at UCLA (9/14) ... made a career-high six tackles in season opener against Houston (9/1).

2018
Redshirted ... played in three games and made three tackles ... made two tackles in his first collegiate contest versus Florida Atlantic (9/1) and one stop against UCLA (9/8) … also played in win at No. 12 West Virginia (11/23).

HIGH SCHOOL
Four-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals … named an Under Armour All-American ... touted as the No. 197 overall recruit in the country by ESPN and No. 207 by 247Sports … ranked as the No. 7 outside linebacker in the country by ESPN and No. 18 by 247Sports … rated as the No. 17 weakside defensive end by Rivals … ranked as the 29th-best player in the state of Florida by 247Sports, No. 46 according to ESPN and No. 73 by Rivals … recorded over 140 tackles in his high school career with 26.5 TFLs, 17.0 sacks, two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles … chose Oklahoma over Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State and others.

PERSONAL
Major is communication ... last name pronounced bo-NEE-toe.