Kitan Oladapo Bio
Olakitan “Kitan” Oladapo (born October 10, 2000) is an American professional football safety for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). A West Covina, California native who grew up in Oregon, he played college football for the Oregon State Beavers before entering the league. Drafted by Green Bay in 2024, he has quickly settled into a depth role on the Packers defense while continuing to develop his game at the professional level.
Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and listed at 216 pounds, Oladapo combines a sturdy frame with the kind of range and instincts that helped him stand out in the Pac-12 Conference. He earned Second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2023 and was previously recognized as an Associated Press First Team All-Pac-12 selection in 2022. Entering the 2025 season, he remains an active member of the Green Bay roster, working to expand his role within the team’s secondary.
Early Life and Background
Kitan Oladapo was born on October 10, 2000, in West Covina, California, and was raised in Happy Valley, Oregon. He grew up in a close-knit family as the son of Akin and Funke Oladapo, alongside a brother, Kash, and a sister, Anjola. His brother Kash later became a goalkeeper for the Portland Hearts of Pine, giving the Oladapo household a strong athletic identity that crossed multiple sports.
Oladapo attended Central Catholic High School, where he was part of a talented class that included fellow standouts Brady Breeze, Blake Brandel, and Cameron Scarlett. During his high school career, he recorded 16 tackles, including one tackle for loss, though he was not heavily recruited by college scouts. Despite the limited attention, his high school experience helped him develop the fundamentals he would later lean on as he prepared for a college opportunity.
Path to American Football
After going largely unnoticed by college recruiters, Oladapo decided to walk on at Oregon State rather than accept a scholarship elsewhere. The walk-on path demanded patience and self-belief, but it gave him a chance to develop within a Pac-12 program known for producing tough, physical defensive backs. His decision to bet on himself at Oregon State marked the true starting point of his football journey.
Once on campus, he committed to refining his body and his game, eventually earning a roster spot and later a scholarship through his performance on the field. The formative years at Oregon State, where he progressed from limited playing time to a featured defensive role, became the foundation for his eventual draft selection. That growth path from overlooked high schooler to NFL draft pick reflects the steady, workmanlike approach he has carried throughout his career.
Kitan Oladapo Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
Oladapo arrived at Oregon State in 2018 and immediately took a redshirt year, preserving a season of eligibility while he learned the Beavers’ defensive system. In 2019, he appeared in just one game and did not record any statistics, a quiet sophomore season that still represented progress as he adjusted to the speed and physicality of college football.
The 2020 season marked his first real opportunity to contribute. He played in six games and tallied 26 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, a pass deflection, and a forced fumble. The sudden jump in production showed the coaching staff that the young safety was ready for a larger role going into the following year.
Oregon State Beavers Breakthrough (2021–2022)
Oladapo opened the 2021 season by intercepting a pass off of Cooper Legas in the LA Bowl loss to Utah State, a moment that hinted at his ball-hawking potential. He built on that through the year and finished the 2021 campaign with 69 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, and eight pass deflections. The numbers established him as a reliable starter in the Beavers secondary.
His 2022 season was even more impressive. In Week 2, he posted a then career-best 15 tackles, a sack, and a pass deflection, earning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week. He later closed the regular season with a new career-high 17 tackles and a tackle for loss in an upset victory over ninth-ranked rival Oregon, once again earning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. He finished 2022 with 80 tackles, four tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and six pass deflections, and was named an Associated Press First Team All-Pac-12 selection.
Green Bay Packers Era (2024–Present)
Following the 2022 season, Oladapo announced that he would return to Oregon State for the 2023 campaign, where he was named a First Team Preseason All-Pac-12 pick. His final college season earned him Second-team All-Pac-12 recognition and set the stage for his move to the next level. In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected him in the fifth round with the 169th overall pick.
He signed his rookie contract with the Packers on May 14, 2024, and began his professional career in Green Bay’s secondary. Across his first NFL regular season, he recorded 17 total tackles and a pass deflection, showing flashes of the tackling ability and coverage awareness that defined his time at Oregon State. As he heads into the next campaign, he continues to compete for a larger defensive role with the team.
Driving Style and Strengths
Oladapo plays a physical, downhill style of safety play, using his 6-foot-2 frame to deliver strong tackles against the run and in the box. He is comfortable working near the line of scrimmage, where his college production of tackles for loss and sacks translated from the Pac-12 level. At the same time, he has shown enough coverage instincts to record interceptions, pass deflections, and to handle tight end and running back matchups in space.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of his college career came in the rivalry upset of ninth-ranked Oregon, where he set a new career high with 17 tackles and earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in a single season. His interception in the 2021 LA Bowl and his late-season 2022 surge cemented his reputation as a playmaker in big games. Being drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Packers marked the most significant milestone of his professional journey so far.
Kitan Oladapo Career Wins
While individual game statistics for defensive players are tracked differently from wins, Oladapo has been part of meaningful team victories at both the college and professional levels. His play helped Oregon State pull off a marquee upset of ninth-ranked Oregon in 2022, and he has contributed to Green Bay’s defensive efforts as a rotational safety.
Oregon State Beavers Highlights
Oladapo’s most celebrated college win came in the season-ending rivalry game against Oregon, where his 17 tackles powered a stunning upset. Earlier in the same 2022 season, he delivered a 15-tackle, one-sack performance in Week 2 that earned him Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week. Those results bookended a year in which he was recognized as an AP First Team All-Pac-12 selection and a preseason All-Pac-12 pick heading into 2023.
Other Wins & Performances
At the high school level with Central Catholic, Oladapo was part of a strong class that included future college standouts, even though his individual statistics were limited. In the NFL, his rookie year totals of 17 total tackles and a pass deflection represent a solid foundation as he continues to carve out a role in Green Bay’s defense.
Kitan Oladapo Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
There is no known racing lineage in Oladapo’s family background. His athletic roots, however, run deep in team sports, as his brother Kash Oladapo has played as a goalkeeper for the Portland Hearts of Pine. That shared commitment to competitive sport has shaped the family’s approach to athletics and provided a supportive environment for Kitan’s development.
Personal Life
Oladapo is the son of Akin and Funke Oladapo, and he grew up alongside his brother Kash and his sister Anjola. He currently resides in Happy Valley, Oregon, maintaining ties to the community that supported his development as a young athlete. He has been focused on establishing himself with the Green Bay Packers as he continues his professional career.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 NFL season, Kitan Oladapo enters his second year with the Green Bay Packers after a rookie campaign in which he posted 17 total tackles and a pass deflection. The Packers’ defensive staff will look for him to take a step forward in both consistency and snap count as he competes for an expanded role in the secondary. His blend of run support and pass coverage experience from Oregon State gives him a clear path to more playing time.
Key storylines to watch include how he builds on his rookie production, his chemistry with the Packers’ coaching staff, and his ability to translate his college tackling volume into efficient professional play. With a full offseason of NFL preparation now behind him, Oladapo is positioned to compete for meaningful reps within Green Bay’s safety rotation.
The outlook for the 2025 season is one of steady growth rather than immediate stardom. If he can stay healthy, continue to refine his coverage technique, and produce the kind of tackling consistency he showed at Oregon State, Oladapo has a realistic chance to grow into a longer-term contributor for the Packers’ defense.