Enock Makonzo

Enock Makonzo
No. 1 Hamilton Tiger-Cats
	Makonzo with the Edmonton Elks in 2023
Born:	May 1, 1997 (age 27); Lachine, Quebec, Canada
Career information
Status	Active
CFL status	National
Position(s)	Linebacker
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	195 lb (88 kg)
College	New Mexico Military Institute; Coastal Carolina
CEGEP	Cégep du Vieux Montréal
High school	École secondaire Dalbé-Viau
CFL draft	2022, round: 1, pick: 4
Drafted by	Edmonton Elks
Career history
As player
2022–2023	Edmonton Elks
2024–present	Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Career stats
Games played	21
Tackles	68
Sacks	2
Forced fumbles	2
	Playing stats at CFL.ca;

Enock Makonzo (born May 1, 1997) is a Canadian professional football linebacker for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at New Mexico Military Institute and Coastal Carolina and was selected with the fourth overall pick of the 2022 CFL Draft by the Edmonton Elks.

Early life and education

Makonzo was born to Congolese parents on May 1, 1997, in Lachine, Quebec.^[1] He started playing football in high-school at École secondaire Dalbé-Viau. After graduating he attended Cégep du Vieux Montréal and also was a member of Team Québec and Canada men's national football team.^[2]^[3] Although he received numerous offers from Canadian universities to play U Sports football, Makonzo decided to play in the United States at New Mexico Military Institute.^[2] He appeared in 18 games over two seasons, and posted a total of 105 tackles along with two sacks, with 71 tackles coming in his second year.^[2] After his graduation from the military school, he accepted an offer to play for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, over the UMass Minutemen and Southern Alabama Jaguars.^[4] He was the first Canadian player in Coastal Carolina's history.^[2]

In his second game with Coastal Carolina, against Kansas, Makonzo suffered a torn ACL that made him miss the rest of the 2019 season.^[2]^[5] He appeared in 12 games during the 2020 season, all but one as a starter, and was named third-team all-conference by Phil Steele after posting 76 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, two sacks and two forced fumbles.^[6] The following year, Makonzo recorded 71 tackles, 10.0 TFLs and a team-leading three forced fumbles on his way to being named first-team All-Sun Belt by Pro Football Focus (PFF).^[6] He was also named to the NCAA All-Canadian Team published by J. C. Abbott.^[7] He closed out his college career with a career-high 11 tackles in their Cure Bowl win and finished his stint with the school having totaled 150 tackles, 21.5 TFLs, two sacks and five forced fumbles.^[8] Although he had one year of eligibility remaining in 2022, Makonzo decided to try professional football.^[9]^[10]

Professional career

Edmonton Elks

Makonzo was selected with the fourth overall pick of the 2022 CFL Draft by the Edmonton Elks.^[11] Playing linebacker as a rookie, he totaled 57 tackles in 16 games (10 of which he started), tied for second on the team.^[12]^[13] He also posted two sacks, five TFLs and a forced fumble.^[14]

In 2023, Makonzo played in just five regular season games where he recorded 11 defensive tackles and one forced fumble. He was released shortly after the completion of the 2024 CFL draft on May 1, 2024.^[15]

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

On May 6, 2024, Makonzo was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.^[16]

Personal life

Makonzo's brother, Ethan Makonzo, who played for the Montreal Carabins was selected with the 46th pick in the sixth round of the 2021 CFL Draft by the Montreal Alouettes until his release and also played for a time with the Elks.^[3]^[17]