Penn State among top schools for five-star offensive tackle

Where does Penn State fall in this massive five-star offensive lineman’s top nine?

Penn State has placed a heavy emphasis on the offensive line in the Class of 2023 recruiting cycle, and the efforts continue to be paying off in the pursuit of a five-star offensive tackle. [autotag]Samson Okunlola[/autotag], from Massachusetts, updated his recruiting progress with a list of his top nine schools. Among the top nine schools still in the running was Penn State.

Penn State is up against some stiff competition as the recruiting focus begins to narrow. The other eight schools listed among Okunola’s top schools are Oregon, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Ohio State, Miami, and Michigan State. There is no timeline for an expected decision date for Okunola, and he has yet to confirm any official visits on his schedule.

According to On3, Okunola seems to be expecting to make official visits to Alabama, Miami, and Michigan State. It is worth noting that Okunola has been on Penn State’s campus before. Okunola attended Penn State’s junior day in January and Penn State was among the first handful of offers to be extended to him back in December 2020.

Okunola would be a massive addition to an already loaded offensive line haul in the Class of 2023 for Penn State. Okunola measures 6′-5″ and 305 lb going into his senior year of high school at Thayer Academy in Brockton, Massachusetts. He is rated as a four-star recruit by 247Sports but is bumped up to five stars in the composite rankings. The last update to the On3 prediction machine listed Penn State with the second-best shot to secure a commitment from Okunola, although the favorite was Rutgers, which was not listed among Okunola’s top nine.

Perhaps of some interest to note, the primary recruiter of Okunola for Alabama is reported to be former Penn State head coach [autotag]Bill O’Brien[/autotag], now the offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide.

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What are Rutgers football recruits saying about the team’s rebuild under Greg Schiano?

Rutgers football recruits offer their thoughts on the team’s rebuilding process.

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This has been a difficult season at times for Rutgers football (4-5, 1-5 Big Ten), not surprising given the level of the rebuild needed to get this team to a simply competitive level in the Big Ten.

And with the ups and downs of this season, Scarlet Knights fans are obviously disappointed and perhaps even frustrated at some of the losses, such as this past Saturday at home to Wisconsin. But for those who follow this most closely, the season certainly isn’t all doom and gloom.

And those who matter the most are the recruits who comprise the 2022 and 2023 class. They are watching things closely and not just the wins and the losses but the direction of the team and the attitude of the coaching staff.

Over the past month, ‘Rutgers Wire’ has reached out to a number of top recruits and commits for their impressions on the Scarlet Knights rebuilding effort in the second season under head coach Greg Schiano. Their answers are below and offer a far more reflective reaction than some of the hot takes on social media.

Star 2023 offensive tackle talks Notre Dame recruitment

Notre Dame is among many in pursuit of the four-star offensive tackle

Samson Okunola is among the top offensive line recruits in the 2023 class and of course, Notre Dame is in hot pursuit of his talents.  Okunola ranks in the top-five offensive lineman in the 247Sports composite rankings and is graded as the top player from Massachusetts in next year’s class.

Kristian Dyer, our friend and colleague at Rutgers Wire, recently chatted with the high school star and found out what he had to say about a few of the many programs currently chasing his talents.  Here’s what Okunola told Dyer of Notre Dame:

“Their offensive line coach – he has a history of sending offensive linemen to the NFL and developing them. Their message is that you get to play football at a higher level and get to be developed by one of the top offensive line coaches but also get a good education.” – Samson Okunola to Rutgers Wire

Check it Out: Notre Dame’s top recruit from each state since 2000

Okunola hasn’t publicly narrowed his list of potential schools yet but is known to have offers from over 30 programs.  Be sure to check out Dyer’s full piece to see what Okunola said about a few of the other top programs who are after him.

Related:

Notre Dame’s current 2022 recruiting class commitments

Notre Dame’s current 2023 recruiting class commitments

Notre Dame’s all-time single season sack leaders

40 former Notre Dame players on NFL rosters to start 2021 season