Rivals250 DE Samuel Okunlola has at least five schools in mind for visits
Rivals250 defensive end Samuel Okunlola may have a long offer sheet but he is still getting used to the world of recruiting. The Brockton (Mass.) Thayer Academy star doesn’t have any visits planned for the summer but there are a number of schools he is considering.
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IN HIS OWN WORDS...
“As of right now I don't have any official visits set up or locked in yet," Okunlola said. "I'm still trying to figure everything out. At some point in the future I will start to get all my visits set up.
“I don't know if these will be official or unofficial visits but I might get to Penn State, Colorado, Clemson, Oregon, and Georgia," he said. "They're recruiting me hard and I'm still trying to figure out which other schools I could visit.”
Penn State- “They have two defensive ends in the NFL Draft," said Okunlola. "It's good to see that they're producing talent. Coach Scott and coach Franklin are recruiting me. I'm just getting a feel for things, doing my research, and looking at everything. We talk about how they plan on using me, how I fit in their scheme, and that type of stuff. I try to do my research and ask questions.”
Colorado- “Coach B-Mike (Brian Michalowski), the outside linebackers coach, has been recruiting me hard," he said. "We did a couple Zooms where they showed me a couple techniques and how they use their edge players. I haven't been out there yet but I did watch a little film so I can get a feel for things.”
Clemson- “They have a history of producing talent, especially on the defensive line," Okunlola said. "I can be developed and coached there. They run a 4-3 base defense so I'd be an edge player for them. I'm very versatile so I have the ability to stand up or put my hand down to stop the run and get to the quarterback. I'm athletic enough to play in coverage. They get a lot of good players so that speaks for itself. they have to be doing something right. I've been talking to the whole defensive staff. The offer is still pretty new so we're still building our relationship.”
Georgia- “They're a recent offer but they have a history with their edge players," he said. "I could use my versatility in their scheme. They run a 3-4 defense and drop an outside defender. The relationship with them is new so I'm still getting a feel for them. I've been talking to coach Dan Lanning and James Ellis. I've talked to coach Tray Scott too.”
Oregon- “I did a virtual visit with them," said Okunlola. "It went well. They showed me around the school and I saw the facilities so that was cool. They run a 4-3 defense so I would probably fit well in that scheme too. The coach that offered me and has been recruiting me is coach Cristobal, the head coach. He's the one in contact with me the most. I've been talking to coach Salave'a, the defensive line coach, coach Wilson, and coach DeRuyer, who was recruiting me at Cal.”
RIVALS' REACTION...
Okunlola’s recruitment will get very interesting once he’s able to get on the road. Penn State and Clemson have done a good job with him and they’ll more than likely get him on campus. Georgia is stepping up their efforts with Okunlola. Those three schools could get official or unofficial visits but visits Colorado and Oregon will likely need to be official visits since they’re very long trips for Okunlola. He also mentioned he is building new relationships with Florida State, Tennessee, and Michigan. Those are relatively new offers for Okunlola and he is looking forward to learning more about those schools.