Reserve defensive lineman Tobechi Okoli enters the transfer portal

He is the fifth defensive player to enter the transfer portal during the second window.

Auburn has lost another defensive depth piece to the transfer portal with defensive lineman [autotag]Tobechi Okoli[/autotag] entering the transfer portal on Thursday, he announced on Twitter.

Okoli’s appearance against Alabama State in 2021 was his only game action in two seasons on the Plains and he did not record a stat. The 6-foot-5, 274-pounder is from Kansas City, Missouri.

RELATED: Live updates of Auburn Tigers in the portal

A three-star recruit, he was the No. 524 overall player and No. 67 defensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite ranking for the 2021 recruiting class.

He is the sixth Auburn player to enter the transfer portal during the second window and the fifth defensive player. He joins Powell Gordon, Desmond Tisdol, Kameron Brown, Jeffrey M’ba, and Tar’Varish Dawson.

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Spring Football Preview: Projecting the defensive line

This group needs to develop depth quickly.

Auburn was due for some attrition along the defensive line.

The Tigers had to many talented players for everyone to get enough playing time and when Nick Eason left for Clemson it only worsened the situation.

But losing six players to the transfer portal was unexpected and has thinned out Auburn’s depth.

The Tigers return their top defensive lineman in Colby Wooden and quality starter in Marcus Harris. Marquis Burks gives them another experienced player they will lean on.

After those four, Auburn has several promising players who have yet to carve out roles for themselves and are now in line for serious playing time.

Here is a look at the group.

Auburn freshmen impact (No. 7: Tobechi Okoli)

Expect Okoli to see the field during Auburn’s cupcake games early.

This is the tenth article in a series detailing and ranking the incoming Auburn freshmen’s impact in 2021.

Name: Tobechi Okoli

Position: Defensive End

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 255 lbs

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri

High School: Lincon Prep

Twitter: @OkoliTobechi

His impact in 2021: Okoli is another depth piece on the defensive line that could emerge as a legitimate pass rusher for the Tigers. Auburn has had a rough time getting to the quarterback for a couple of seasons. They need a home run hitter on the edge. We may not see him often this season, but getting experience on the field as a freshman is extremely beneficial for Okoli’s development. The 6-5, 255 pound edge rusher recorded 41.5 tackles, 18.5 TFL, and seven sacks during his senior season. Expect Okoli to see the field during Auburn’s cupcake games early.

No: 16 AD Diamond

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Reactions to Auburn’s Early Signing Day

Twitter wasn’t exactly happy with how Auburn’s 2021 signing class has turned out so far on the first day of the Early Signing Period.

Things today were certainly interesting. The good news is that Auburn managed to sign 12 commits today. The bad news is that the Tigers’ 2021 recruiting class is currently ranked 46th overall nationally. The Tigers have not fallen below the top 25 in recruiting since 2003. Luckily they have plenty of more time to improve before February 3rd.

Early Signing Day is always exciting, especially when it falls on day three of Auburn fans begging the question, “Who is Auburn even going to hire to coach these guys next year?”

Head coaching chaos aside, today was still an exciting day for Auburn fans and future players. I know I’m looking forward to watching each of these guys play in orange and blue. It takes a lot of courage for these young men to sign when the future of a program is uncertain, but hey, that’s when you know these guys love Auburn and are coming for the right reasons.

Let’s get into the reactions from today:

Sad news in addition to this, but redshirt freshman RB Mark Antony Richards has entered the transfer portal. It’s a depressing feeling to see depth leaving at a time like this. We wish him nothing but the best.

Today was not ideal by any means, but these young guys are the future. Take a deep breath, remain calm, and pray that Auburn’s decision makers find the right guy who can build upon this recruiting class, find some offensive linemen and linebackers, and coach these guys up to the standard of Auburn football that we all know and love.

Auburn lands commitment from 3-star defensive end

It is Auburn’s first commitment since June 15.

The wait is over.

After not landing a recuit since June 15, the Tigers are back on the board with a commitment from 3-star strong-side defensive end Tobechi Okoli of Kansas City (Mo.) Lincoln College Prep.

Okoli, listed at 6-feet-5, 250 pounds, is the No. 8 recruit in the state of Missouri for 247Sports Composite and is the No. 41 strong-side end in the country. He is committ No. 11 for the Tigers in 2021 and is the second defensive lineman, joining4-star tackle Lee Hunter of Eight Mile (Ala.) Blount.

Here is Okoli’s 247Sports evaluation:

Big, long body and has quickly gotten bigger and added good weight. Good athlete who can cover a lot of ground quickly and get off the ball. Shows aggressiveness. Has not played football for long and is still learning technique. Has to keep improving lateral agility as well. Big upside. Will need some time but has the athleticism and size to play for many schools around the country and have a shot at playing beyond college.

UGA football offers scholarship to 2021 DE Tobechi Okoli

The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to Lincoln College Prep DE Tobechi Okoli. Tennessee, Oklahoma and more have offered Okoli.

The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to 2021 defensive end Tobechi Okoli. Okoli is a three-star prospect, who plays high school football for Lincoln College Prep in Kansas City, Missouri.

Okoli has received a lot of interest among Big 12 schools and has SEC offers from Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia, and Vanderbilt. Where will Okoli play in college? He’s projected by 247 to play for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Okoli is excited to receive his most recent offer from the Georgia Bulldogs:

Okoli is a 6-5, 255 pound defensive end. He has solid size and would be a good fit as a 3-4 defensive end in Athens. He would need to add to his frame some to compete along the defensive front in the SEC. Fortunately, he has plenty of time to do that.

Kirby Smart and Georgia have been offering numerous scholarships to recruits in the current dead period. We’ll keep you updated throughout Okoli’s recruitment.

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