BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • Tampa Bay No. 70
Current official portrait: Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Offensive tackle • Second NFL season
Ready when the line calls
Benjamin “Ben” Chukwuma
- Born
- May 8, 2001
- Birthplace
- Nigeria
- Hometown
- Austell, Georgia
- Listed size
- 6 feet 6 inches • 310 pounds
- High school
- Campbell High School • Smyrna, Georgia
- College
- Georgia State University • 2020–2024
- NFL entry
- Undrafted • Signed May 9, 2025
- Buccaneers
- 2025–present • No. 70
Sources: Buccaneers roster, official media guide, Georgia State biography and transactions. Nigeria is his birth country; Austell is his listed hometown. Georgia State used the name Ben Chukwuma.
NFL figures stop after November 1, 2026 (Week 8), checked November 3. Sources: NFL game log, Buccaneers biography and Georgia State record. See the NFL appearance-count note.
Benjamin Chukwuma reached Tampa Bay through a college walk-on opportunity and an undrafted NFL signing. By his second professional season, he had started games at both tackle positions. The Buccaneers had found a young blocker who could prepare for an opportunity and step into the lineup when needed. His NFL arrival; the developing tackle; his latest starting assignment.
There is plenty for the Krewe to appreciate in that kind of progress. A roster spot is one milestone; being ready when a teammate cannot play is another. No. 70’s early career lets fans follow the work between those moments.
Nigeria → Georgia → Tampa Bay
A football path built in stages
The beginning A new country and a new game.
Born in Nigeria, Chukwuma moved to the United States with his family as a teenager. He attended Campbell High School in Smyrna and played one high school football season. Georgia State later listed Austell as his hometown. The school’s account of his background; Buccaneers personal biography.
2020–2024 Walking on at Georgia State.
He joined the Panthers as a walk-on in 2020. His first college game action came in 2023, followed by starting opportunities late that season. In 2024, he made 11 starts at left tackle, adding a full season of responsibility to his college record. Georgia State biography; 2024 participation.
2025–present Earning a place with the Bucs.
Tampa Bay signed Chukwuma on May 9, 2025, after he went undrafted. He earned a spot on the 53-man roster and eventually made two rookie-season starts at left tackle. The following summer, the club identified him as a developing option to cover either tackle position. Signing record; the camp preview.
October 25, 2026 • Week 7 • At Carolina
Ready on the right side in Carolina
His third NFL start
43–13
BUCCANEERS OVER PANTHERS
First start of the 2026 season.
A new assignment at right tackle.
258 TEAM RUSHING YARDS
Stepping in for Luke Goedeke
With Goedeke unavailable, Chukwuma started at right tackle in Tampa Bay’s 43–13 victory. The Buccaneers gained 258 rushing yards as a team. Todd Bowles praised the young tackle’s size, athleticism and strength, and expressed confidence in his potential to become a full-time starter. The official Carolina feature.
Chukwuma said the experience he gained as a rookie had increased his confidence entering year two. This game gave him another opportunity to apply that experience alongside the rest of the line. His reflections after the win.
NFL regular season • 2025–2026
The opening chapters of his NFL record
Chukwuma appeared in all 17 games of his rookie season and the first eight games of 2026. Through this update, his regular-season record stood at 25 appearances and three starts. The current season remains in progress.
| Season | Team | G | GS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tampa Bay | 17 | 2 |
| 2026 — through Week 8 | Tampa Bay | 8 | 1 |
| NFL career through 2026 W8 | Tampa Bay | 25 | 3 |
G = games played; GS = games started. These figures cover NFL regular-season participation, separate from college and preseason games.
Source note, November 3: The annual summary and career feed still show one 2026 appearance with no starts, and career totals of 18 games and two starts. The current game log records eight appearances and one start in 2026. This page therefore uses 25 career games and three starts.
2026 game-by-game participation • through Week 8
| Week | Date | Opponent | Tampa Bay result | G | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Sep. 13 | @ Cincinnati | L 27–33 | 1 | 0 |
| Week 2 | Sep. 20 | Cleveland | L 19–23 | 1 | 0 |
| Week 3 | Sep. 27 | Minnesota | L 16–23 | 1 | 0 |
| Week 4 | Oct. 4 | Green Bay | L 14–17 | 1 | 0 |
| Week 5 | Oct. 8 | @ Dallas | W 24–16 | 1 | 0 |
| Week 6 | Oct. 18 | Pittsburgh | L 19–26 (OT) | 1 | 0 |
| Week 7 | Oct. 25 | @ Carolina | W 43–13 | 1 | 1 |
| Week 8 | Nov. 1 | Atlanta | W 16–0 | 1 | 0 |
| Through Week 8 | 2026 | 8 games | 3–5 record | 8 | 1 |
Scores show Tampa Bay first; @ indicates an away game and OT means overtime. Week 7 is his only start in this portion of the 2026 season.
Source: official Buccaneers game log. Appearance and start counts do not specify how every non-starting appearance was divided between offense and special teams. Tables scroll horizontally on small screens.
NFL postseason: He had no playoff appearances at this update. Tampa Bay did not qualify after his rookie 2025 season, and the 2026 postseason had not begun.
Left tackle and right tackle • 2025–2026
His first three NFL starts
Before his first start against New Orleans in Week 14 of 2025, Chukwuma had played just six NFL offensive snaps. He stepped in for injured left tackle Tristan Wirfs and completed his first extended assignment. That is a substantial change in responsibility for a rookie, and the club’s account captures his satisfaction in meeting the challenge. The first-start feature.
| NFL start | Season | Week | Opponent | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025 | Week 14 | New Orleans | Left tackle |
| 2 | 2025 | Week 17 | @ Miami | Left tackle |
| 3 | 2026 | Week 7 | @ Carolina | Right tackle |
LT = left tackle; RT = right tackle. These starts are already included in the NFL season table and must not be added to it again.
Assignments: 2025 player biography and the 2026 Carolina start. Both rookie-season starts were at left tackle.
Learning from the room around him
Chukwuma credited Kevin Carberry, Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke with helping him develop. He described coaches and teammates willing to teach, making the offensive-line room a resource as his experience grew. His account of that support.
Georgia State Panthers • 2020–2024
From waiting for game action to starting at both tackles
Chukwuma’s first college start came at right tackle against Old Dominion in the 2023 regular-season finale. He then started at left tackle in the bowl game against Utah State. Those final two assignments gave him experience on both sides before his last college season. Georgia State’s career account.
The bowl assignment ended with a 45–22 Panthers victory in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on December 23, 2023. It belongs to his 2023 college totals below. His 11 starts the following season completed a career with 23 appearances and 13 starts. The bowl report; 2023 record; 2024 record.
Georgia State participation • 2020–2024
| Season | G | GS | Starting position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 12 | 2 | 1 RT / 1 LT |
| 2024 | 11 | 11 | Left tackle |
| Georgia State career | 23 | 13 | 12 LT / 1 RT |
G = games played; GS = games started. Georgia State identifies 2023 as his first season of game action. The zero-appearance years do not assign a redshirt or other eligibility designation. His 13 starts comprised 12 at left tackle and one at right tackle.
Sources: Georgia State biography and the school’s 2023 and 2024 participation records. The bowl appearance is included in 2023.
Studies and recognition beyond the starting lineup
A Georgia State graduate with academic honors
Georgia State identifies Chukwuma as a 2024 graduate. His studies included computer information systems and cybersecurity, according to the Buccaneers. Those subjects give his college story another dimension alongside the work required to develop as a tackle. The school’s graduate record; his academic background.
- 2024: Georgia State Inspiration Award at the Golden Panther Awards.
- 2023–2024: Sun Belt Academic Honor Roll.
- Athletic Director’s Honor Roll: Spring 2023, Fall 2023 and Spring 2024.
Recognition: Golden Panther Awards, Sun Belt academic announcement, Spring 2023 academic honors and Georgia State biography.
Sharing the moments • Giving time
Family calls and Thanksgiving teamwork
A good day to share with family
After the Carolina win, Chukwuma said he called his family to share his happiness. Alongside the football analysis, that detail preserves the personal meaning of getting an opportunity and contributing to a victory. His postgame reflections.
Turkey Time with the O-Line
On November 25, 2025, Chukwuma participated in Tampa Bay’s Turkey Time with the O-Line. The official gallery identifies him alongside Luke Haggard during the Thanksgiving event. It offers a documented view of the young tackle joining teammates in a community tradition beyond the stadium. Official event photographs.
More chapters ahead
Follow the preparation as well as the starts
Chukwuma’s early record gives the Krewe a story of opportunity earned over time. His college starts, first NFL assignment and Carolina afternoon mark different stages of that progress. When No. 70 enters the game, there is a growing body of experience behind the next snap.
Sources & statistical notes
Updated November 3, 2026. NFL figures stop after November 1, Week 8. College statistics cover his completed Georgia State career.
- Profile and arrival: Buccaneers roster, media guide, undrafted signing and transactions.
- NFL record and development: game log, career feed, first start, 2026 camp preview and Carolina feature.
- College: Georgia State biography, 2023 participation, 2024 participation and bowl report.
- Education and community: graduate record, Inspiration Award, academic honor roll and Turkey Time photographs.