Tag: Samson Okunlola

5-star OL Samson Okunlola, AKA ‘Pancake Honcho,’ had an epic chef photo shoot during Florida visit

Pancake Honcho is changing the game.

Recruiting in college football is more competitive than ever before, and it can take a lot of effort to stand out to prospects.

Schools roll out the red carpet for high school recruits, and an increasingly significant component of that equation is the uniform photo shoot. These are essentially universal at this point, but some are a bit more creative than others.

And Samson Okunlola is changing the game.

The five-star offensive lineman from Thayer Academy in Brockton, Massachusetts — otherwise known by his “alter ego,” Pancake Honcho — went viral on Friday after taking a midweek unofficial visit with the Florida Gators, thanks to an iconic pancake chef photo shoot.

As you’ve probably guessed, the nickname is a reference to the number of pancake blocks Okunlola racks up. As the No. 3 offensive tackle in the country in the 2023 class with a multitude of high-profile offers, his play certainly lives up to such a nickname.

It’s not the first time a school has put on a pancake-themed shoot for Okunlola, as he’s done the same during visits with Alabama and Michigan State, as well as others.

“Pancake Honcho” is Okunlola’s official brand and, presumably, will be used as a vessel for name, image and likeness deals when the time comes. One can only guess what direction he will decide to head in from a product perspective.

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Florida football still in mix for this 5-star offensive tackle

Florida still has hopes of landing an elite offensive tackle in the 2023 cycle, but it’ll take a very strong push down the stretch to get the job done.

Back in June, five-star offensive tackle Samson Okunlola named the Florida Gators to his top nine. Since then, programs like Alabama, Miami and Michigan State have taken center stage in the elite Thayer Academy (Brockton, Massachusetts) recruit’s process, but that doesn’t mean the Gators are out of the race entirely.

The Gators are still actively pursuing Okunlola, according to a report from 247Sports. The team sent assistant offensive line coach [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] and running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] to stop by his school during the bye week, and they pushed the idea of early playing time in the Swamp. Stapleton and offensive coordinator/offensive line coach [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] are his main contacts at UF and they’ve kept in touch with him over the past few months.

“Off the field, they are great dudes and I have been talking to them a lot over time,” Okunlola said of Sale and Stapleton. “They are just great dudes in general. They say I am a major priority for them and a top recruit for them. They said they love my skills. Playing early has always been a great goal of mine. I feel like I could have a chance to play as a freshman there.”

Okunlola has used three official visits so far, one to each of the programs named earlier. The Hurricanes are viewed as the leader right now in this race, but a late trip to Gainesville could change that. While nothing is scheduled right now, Okunlola has talked about taking a visit in November or December.

He’s one of the few remaining uncommitted five-star recruits in the class of 2023, so expect Florida to push hard for him down the stretch. 247Sports has Okunlola at No. 18 overall in its composite rankings and at No. 3 among offensive tackles.

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Florida football still in mix for this 5-star offensive tackle

Florida still has hopes of landing an elite offensive tackle in the 2023 cycle, but it’ll take a very strong push down the stretch to get the job done.

Back in June, five-star offensive tackle Samson Okunlola named the Florida Gators to his top nine. Since then, programs like Alabama, Miami and Michigan State have taken center stage in the elite Thayer Academy (Brockton, Massachusetts) recruit’s process, but that doesn’t mean the Gators are out of the race entirely.

The Gators are still actively pursuing Okunlola, according to a report from 247Sports. The team sent assistant offensive line coach [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] and running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] to stop by his school during the bye week, and they pushed the idea of early playing time in the Swamp. Stapleton and offensive coordinator/offensive line coach [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] are his main contacts at UF and they’ve kept in touch with him over the past few months.

“Off the field, they are great dudes and I have been talking to them a lot over time,” Okunlola said of Sale and Stapleton. “They are just great dudes in general. They say I am a major priority for them and a top recruit for them. They said they love my skills. Playing early has always been a great goal of mine. I feel like I could have a chance to play as a freshman there.”

Okunlola has used three official visits so far, one to each of the programs named earlier. The Hurricanes are viewed as the leader right now in this race, but a late trip to Gainesville could change that. While nothing is scheduled right now, Okunlola has talked about taking a visit in November or December.

He’s one of the few remaining uncommitted five-star recruits in the class of 2023, so expect Florida to push hard for him down the stretch. 247Sports has Okunlola at No. 18 overall in its composite rankings and at No. 3 among offensive tackles.

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Florida coaches to visit top 2023 OL prospect during bye week

Florida’s staff will be visiting one of the top offensive linemen in the nation on Thursday as they look to strengthen the position group.

The 2023 Florida Gators recruiting class is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory. According to 247Sports, the Gators currently have the No. 9 recruiting class in the nation, with most players coming from the state of Florida.

The top end of the class is made up of blue-chip players in the secondary, at wide receiver, and along the defensive line. Where the staff still needs to do work is along the offensive line. Currently, the Gators only have two offensive linemen committed, both of whom at considered three-star prospects.

It seems like the Florida staff are looking to prioritize strengthening the line during the bye week, with 247Sports reporting that the Gators will have assistants in Massachusets on Thursday to check out [autotag]Samson Okunlola[/autotag], the nation’s No. 16 overall player and No. 3 offensive lineman in the 2023 class.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 305-pound Brockton native has received a lot of national attention. He is currently uncommitted, but 247Sports is predicting that Miami (Florida) is at the forefront of his shortlist. He is also an All-American Bowl roster member and will play in the annual game in January.

It’s clear Napier and his staff are putting a priority on securing the best players in the state of Florida, but it’s nice to see the staff venture out nationally to add high-level talent at key positions. Time will tell if Okunlola will move Florida higher up on his recruitment list.

Momentum could swing in Florida’s direction, regardless of how the visit to see Okunlola goes. Lakeland native cornerback Cormani McClain, the nation’s 2nd-best player, will announce his commitment next Thursday. He is expected to choose between Alabama, Florida, and Miami, with the Gators most likely to land his signature.

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2023 Recruiting Profile: Can Florida make late push for 5-star OT Samson Okunlola?

After missing out on most of the high-profile in-state offensive tackles, can Florida land this elite OT from the northeast?

When Billy Napier and his staff touched base with five-star offensive tackle [autotag]Samson Okunlola[/autotag] in February, the Gators were prioritizing in-state targets at the position such as [autotag]Payton Kirkland[/autotag] (Oklahoma), [autotag]Francis Mauigoa[/autotag] (Miami) and [autotag]Tommy Kinsler[/autotag] (flipped from Florida to Miami). All three of them landed elsewhere, and now Florida’s best shot at landing a blue-chip tackle might the top-20 recruit from out-of-state.

Okunlola is a big 6-foot-5-inch, 305-pounder out of Thayer Academy in Brockton, Massachusetts. He’s the kind of prep player that’s never truly been on a field of athletes that can match up to his size, and his ability has him ranked in the top 15 by most services. That’s top 15 in the class of 2023, not just at his position.

Of course, a talent like that comes with fierce competition, and the favorite to land him is the same school that’s been dominating the recruiting trail for the past couple of weeks —  Miami. The Hurricanes are a 95.3% favorite according to the On3 recruiting prediction machine, and the experts at 247Sports have also cast crystal balls in UM’s favor.

Alabama, Miami and Michigan State are the three schools that have hosted him on official visits so far, and he’s named six other schools to a top nine that he can pick from for his final two visits. Florida is one of those six schools and needs to get the official visit to make a late push.

There’s certainly a need at the position for Florida, and it would be easy to promise early playing time to a player of his caliber. Of the top 15 offensive tackles in the class, Okunlola is the highest rated at 14th overall on the 247Sports composite. [autotag]Zalance Heard[/autotag] and [autotag]Monroe Freeling[/autotag] are around the No. 60 mark and also options for the Gators.

5 offensive line recruits Michigan State football fans should monitor

5 offensive line recruits Michigan State is heavily recruiting, and looking to make a part of the 2023 recruiting class

As July comes to an end, a big portion of the 2023 recruiting cycle has started to wind down with it. Many recruits are making their commitments and making choices on where they would like to play college football.

Michigan State offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic has put a lot of time on the recruiting trail, and he is hoping that it will pay off.

The Spartans offensive line coach has already put together a nice offensive line class together with 4-stars Clay Wedin and Cole Dellinger to pair with 3-star Johnathan Slack.

Dellinger and Slack project to play on the interior at either guard or center, while Wedin is more of a swing guy who could play inside or outside. It is apparent that Kapilovic will need to add a couple of pure tackles to the mix.

Lucky for him, the Spartans are in the trenches with several top targets. Take a look at who they are:

Five-star OT Francis Mauigoa picks Miami over Alabama, others

Alabama misses out on five-star offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa.

Happy Fourth of July Tide fans! I hope everyone is enjoying their Independence Day on this beautiful Monday.

Today has already been a busy day for [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and his staff in Tuscaloosa as the Tide was able to receive a commitment from four-star offensive lineman [autotag]RyQueze McElderry[/autotag].

Unfortunately for the Tide, Alabama has missed out on five-star offensive tackle [autotag]Francis Mauigoa[/autotag] in favor of the Miami Hurricanes.

Mauigoa picked the Hurricanes over not only Alabama but also USC, Florida, and Tennessee among others.

Despite missing out on Mauigoa, Alabama is still in contention for another five-star offensive tackle in [autotag]Samson Okunlola[/autotag].

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continuous coverage of Alabama football recruiting.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

2023 5-star OT Samson Okunlola shares clips from his visit to Alabama

One of the nation’s top offensive linemen in the class of 2023 visited Alabama and shared some awesome footage!

Alabama’s efforts on the 2023 recruiting trail continue to heat up. Whether it be hosting top-rated player and quarterback Arch Manning or landing in-state commitments from top offensive linemen, the Crimson Tide’s cooking.

One of the highest-rated players of the 2023 class is Samson Okunlola out of Massachusetts.

Currently, Okunlola is considering Alabama, Miami, Michigan State, Georgia, Florida and others.

Today, he shared a short clip of his time in Tuscaloosa at the Alabama Football facility while on an official visit.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Okunlola and other high-profile Alabama target prospects on the recruiting trail.

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Alabama Morning Drive: Recapping a busy weekend in recruiting

Alabama hosts yet another impressive weekend of official visits.

Good Monday morning, Tide fans! Welcome back to another edition of Alabama Morning Drive. I hope everyone enjoyed their Father’s Day weekend and was able to spend some time with all the father figures in your life.

Despite it being a holiday weekend, [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and Alabama had a busy weekend when it comes to recruiting. Several of the nation’s top prospects were in town over the weekend for official visits. Coach Saban and the staff even took the time to extend some offers to prospects outside of the 2023 class.

Over the next few minutes, we will present you with some of the best tweets from several of the prospects over this past weekend.

Without wasting too much time let’s just dive right into the meat of the article.

Ducks trending in a big way for trio of 5-star recruits ahead of major recruiting weekend

The Oregon Ducks have turned some heads in the 2023 recruiting cycle, and they are trending in a big way for this trio of 5-star players.

The Oregon Ducks have been picking up steam on the recruiting trail for a couple of months now, and they’re really starting to turn some heads.

With a pair of major recruiting weekends schedule for the end of June, starting this week, we can expect to see a number of five-star players on campus in Eugene. However, Dan Lanning and the Ducks have recently gotten some praise for how they’ve done with a trio of big-time recruits.

RELATED: All of the elite recruiting prospects visiting Ducks in June

Not only did Oregon land 4-star WR Jurrion Dickey — who has impressed lately and could move up to a 5-star before all is said and done — but they’ve also gotten in good with elite players like QB Dante Moore, RB Richard Young, and OT Samson Okunlola.

Here is what 247Sports Recruiting Director Steve Wiltfong had to say about Oregon’s recruitment for those three players: