Tag: Samson Okunlola

Spartans fall short in recruiting battle for 2023 5-star OT Samson Okunlola

Michigan State football comes up just short in the battle for 5-star OT Samson Okunlola

Michigan State football once again came up just short in a recruiting battle for a monster prospect.

Five-star offensive tackle Samson Okunlola committed to Miami (FL) on Thursday evening, picking the Hurricanes over Michigan State, Florida and Alabama. The Spartans were in the thick of his recruitment from the beginning and there was even some late buzz in their favor down the stretch.

Okunlola ranks as the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 20 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the 2023 class.

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Gators miss out on 2023 5-star OT ahead of early signing period

Florida just can’t seem to beat out Miami when it comes to recruiting five-star offensive tackles. Five-star lineman Samson Okunlola is headed to Coral Gables.

Florida missed out on Thayer Academy (Brockton, Massachusetts) five-star offensive tackle [autotag]Samson Okunlola[/autotag] on Thursday. The blue-chip lineman chose the University of Miami over Florida, Alabama and Michigan State.

This isn’t the first time Billy Napier has lost a recruiting battle with Mario Cristobal for a five-star offensive tackle. Many fans will remember that the Hurricanes earned a commitment from the nation’s top prep offensive tackle, [autotag]Francis Mauigoa[/autotag], over the summer. That was around the same time that Miami got quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag], but he would eventually flip to the Orange and Blue.

Okunlola’s recruitment came down to Miami and Florida. He was in Gainesville last week for his final official visit, but Miami got the final word on Tuesday by visiting him directly.

NIL was reportedly a factor in this decision, but that’s not unusual in today’s college football landscape, especially for a five-star prospect that’s worked hard to build his own brand. “Pancake Honcho” Okunlola announced his commitment with a hot stack and custom syrup holders for each of his four finalists. His pledge vaults Miami up to No. 3 on 247Sports’ team rankings.

Okunlola is the 20th-ranked player on the 247Sports composite regardless of position and is the third-highest-ranked offensive tackle in the class of 2023. The site’s individual rankings are even more bullish on him, ranking Okunlola at No. 14 overall in the class.

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Alabama lands in top four for 2023 OL Samson Okunlola

2023 offensive tackle Samson Okunlola recently released his top four on Tuesday. The Tide were included as a finalist.

Samson Okunlola, a 2023 offensive tackle prospect, released his top four schools on Tuesday. Surprisingly, he included Alabama as a finalist. The Massachusetts native last visited Alabama in June.

Okunlola plays offensive tackle at Thayer Academy. He also wrestled for the school in the Winter of 2022. His strength and explosiveness are something that stands out on paper. He is listed at 6-foot-5, 305 pounds. The fact that he has also received over 40 scholarship offers speaks volumes as well.

Alabama currently has five offensive linemen committed in the 2023 class. Olaus Alinen, Miles McVay, Raymond Pulido, Wilkin Formby, and RyQueze McElderry are all expected to sign with the Tide.

Although Okunlola is trending towards Miami, the Tide could be in the mix. It has not been spoken about as of late, but it could be in the works. We will have to wait and see when Okunlola makes his commitment.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down Samson Okunlola’s recruiting profile.

Florida makes top 4 for this 5-star 2023 offensive tackle recruit

The Gators are still in play for this big-time offensive tackle.

College football’s early signing day is just a week away and things are getting exciting on the recruiting front, especially for the Florida Gators. [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his staff have done an admirable job assembling a top-10 class in his first full season at the helm and there is no sign that the program is slowing down any time soon.

One of the top remaining prep prospects in the 2023 cycle is five-star offensive lineman [autotag]Samson Okunlola[/autotag] out of Braintree (Massachusetts) Thayer Academy who released his final four schools on Twitter ahead of his Thursday commitment date. That list included the Gators.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 305-pound lineman also included the Michigan State Spartans, Alabama Crimson Tide and Miami Hurricanes among his finalists. However, some of Florida’s current commits have been lobbying hard to get the blue-chipper on campus to join what Napier is building in the Swamp which could help the Gators gain an edge.

Okunlola is ranked No. 20 overall and No. 3 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 16 and 3, respectively. The highly-sought recruit currently holds three crystal ball predictions from 247Sports for the Hurricanes while On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gives Miami a 64% chance of landing him, with Florida in second at 32.5%.

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5-star offensive tackle features Michigan State football in top four schools

A 5-star offensive tackle is down to four and Michigan State is among the finalists

5-star offensive tackle Samson Okunlola is preparing to make the decision where he will play his collegiate football. Signing day is just over a week away, and it has been announced that he will announce his commitment on December 15th.

Okunlola is a 5-star that is ranked as the No. 14 overall player and No. 3 offensive tackle in the 2023 recruiting class according to 247Sports.

The Brockton, Massachusetts native has announced that he is down to 4 schools ahead of Thursday’s decision.

Florida, Alabama, Miami and Michigan State are the finalists to land the elite offensive tackle.

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Tracking Florida’s big recruiting weekend ahead of the early signing period

The Gators are hosting a ton of recruits on official visits this weekend. Here are the ones who have checked in from the Swamp.

The Florida Gators are hosting a ton of official visitors over what will be the final big recruiting weekend ahead of the 2023 cycle’s early signing period.

UF’s selection to the Las Vegas Bowl, which takes place on Dec. 17, forced Billy Napier’s staff to adjust, but the list of visitors in the Swamp this weekend is still very impressive.

Headlining it is five-star offensive tackle [autotag]Samson Okunlola[/autotag] out of Massachusetts. The Gators are working hard to beat out the Miami Hurricanes for him, and he’d likely help Florida break back into the top 10 as the team’s only five-star commit in the cycle. Getting the last word could be crucial in his decision.

The Gators are also looking to flip a few players as well, and a late official visit could help push them to make the leap and bolster an already powerful class. Plenty of commits are in town too to help recruit and take their own official visits.

Here’s a look at every recruiting target that’s checked in from the Swamp over the weekend.

Florida commits recruiting 2023 undecided 5-star OT on social media

Florida is still working hard on adding to the class of 2023, and the recruits under commitment are pulling their weight.

Florida is still battling it out in the recruiting realm to land five-star Thayer Academy (Brockton, Massachusetts) offensive tackle [autotag]Samson Okunlola[/autotag].

The big man — he’s 6-feet-5-inches tall and 305 pounds — will make his college decision on Dec. 15, according to Hayes Fawcett of On3, and the Gators are pushing until the very end. Florida should get the last word with him during a Dec. 9 official visit, but Miami is the other major player in this race.

Okunlola is one of few the remaining undecided five-stars in the 2023 class. Florida and Miami are no strangers to each other, especially in the recruiting world, and this one could come down to the wire. Florida’s 2023 quarterback commit [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] is doing his part to recruit Okunlola, and wide receiver [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] joined in as well on social media. More on that below.

The 247Sports composite ranks Okunlola No. 20 overall in the class of 2023 and at No. 3 among offensive tackles in the class. He’s also the top player out of the state of Massachusetts. The site’s individual rankings bump him up to No. 16 nationally, and that’s where he falls on the On3 consensus as well.

Those numbers make it easy to see why Florida is pushing so hard, but only time will tell if Billy Napier and Co. have done enough to land Okunlola.

5-star offensive tackle sought by Florida to visit, sets commitment date

Billy Napier and Co. have a chance to make a big splash with this 2023 blue-chipper in the Swamp this weekend.

College football recruiting is back in high gear after the conclusion of the regular season and the Florida Gators are still pushing hard for the top prep prospects remaining in the 2023 class.

With flurries of campus visits and trips out to see the recruits in their home environment in full swing, the lingering student-athletes are beginning to announce their decisions on where they plan on taking their talents. Among those sought by [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. is five-star offensive tackle [autotag]Samson Okunlola[/autotag] out of Braintree (Massachusetts) Thayer Academy who recently set his announcement date for Dec. 15 at 4 p.m. EST in his high school’s gymnasium, according to Swamp247.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 305-pound lineman has an official visit planned for the Swamp this coming weekend which marks his second trip to Gainesville in the last month. He also made official visits to see the Alabama Crimson Tide, Michigan State Spartans and Miami Hurricanes back in June while also making additional unofficial stops with the two Sunshine State schools recently as well.

Okunlola is ranked No. 20 overall and No. 3 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 16 and 3, respectively. The Hurricanes hold two of 247Sports’ crystal ball predictions while also in the lead according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine with a 66.6% chance of landing him; the Gators are second at 29.8%.

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MSU target, 5-star OT Samson Okunlola to announce college decision next week

One of the best offensive tackle prospects in the 2023 class will be making his college decision next week

One of the best offensive tackle prospects in the 2023 class will be making his college decision next week.

Five-star offensive tackle Samson Okunlola will officially be announcing his college decision on Dec. 15. Michigan State has been pursuing Okunlola on the recruiting trail hard and is considered one of the finalists to land his commitment.

Okunlola ranks as the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 20 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings. He’s also listed as the No. 1 player from Massachusetts.

Michigan State, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Miami (FL) are considered the five teams with the best chance at landing Okunlola’s commitment, according to 247Sports. He is projected to end up as a Hurricane at Miami (FL) but we will know for sure next week.

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Florida might be the favorite to land this 2023 offensive lineman

Billy Napier has his eyes on an offensive lineman from the state of Louisiana and the experts like the Gators’ chances.

With the early signing period approaching, Florida has been busy on the recruiting trail, and it appears that the Gators’ efforts are paying off with De La Salle (New Orleans, Louisiana) offensive tackle [autotag]Caden Jones[/autotag].

247Sports’ director of recruiting, Steve Wiltfong, submitted a crystal ball for Jones in favor of UF Wednesday morning with a confidence level of six out of 10. Jones is still considering Houston, Texas, Texas A&M and Florida State, but Wiltfong feels that Florida has done enough to be considered the favorite in this race.

Jones stands at an enormous 6-foot-8-inches and 305 pounds and fills a position of need for the Gators. Florida flipped four-star guard [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag] from FSU in October and has both [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryce Lovett[/autotag] under commitment, but there’s still a need for a couple more linemen. Five-star tackle [autotag]Samson Okunlola[/autotag] is the other name that keeps being connected with Florida, but Jones is a more reasonable target that could wind up being a developmental piece.

The expectation is for Jones to commit during the All-American Bowl on Jan. 7, so Florida has a bit of time to work on him.

The 247Sports composite ranks Jones at No. 425 overall and No. 33 among offensive tackles in the class of 2023.

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