(Photo Courtesy of Samson Oklunlola/Twitter)
Elite East Coast Offensive Lineman Samson Okunlola Picks Up UCLA Football Offer
One of the biggest, most physical linemen in the nation earned a cross-country invite from the Bruins.
UCLA football sent a scholarship offer to class of 2023 offensive tackle Samson Oklunlola on Tuesday, the Thayer Academy (MA) junior announced on Twitter. Coming from Brockton, Massachusetts, Oklunlola is one of the most sought after recruits in the northeast, drawing more high-profile attention than nearly anyone else in the region.
Oklunlola has offers from Akron, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College, Colorado State, UConn, Florida, Florida A&M, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, UMass, Miami (FL), Michigan, Michigan State, Morgan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Michigan and Michigan State hosted Okunlala for visits in March, and he also made stops at Penn State, Rutgers and Virginia earlier in the offseason. Last summer, Okunlala visited Florida and Georgia.
Okunlola's older brother, Samuel, just joined Pittsburgh this offseason as an early enrollee and was the Panthers' third-ranked recruit in the 2022 cycle.
The younger Oklunlola brother is the higher-rated of the two, earning four stars from 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN. 247Sports has Oklunlola ranked as the No. 3 offensive tackle, No. 2 Massachusetts product and No. 25 player in the entire 2023 class, while Rivals pegs him as the No. 1 player in the Bay State.
In addition to thriving as an offensive lineman at several all-star camps, Oklunlola also has experience on the defensive side of the ball, but he is being pursued almost exclusively as an offensive tackle. Oklunlola has already earned an invite to the 2023 NBC All-American Bowl.
At 6-foot-6, 295 pounds, Oklunlola already boasts a college-ready frame and the physical profile of a prototypical left tackle. The Bruins had one of those in Sean Rhyan the past three seasons, but their former top 2019 recruit is NFL bound.
UCLA has Rutgers transfer Raiqwon O'Neal and rising sophomore Garrett DiGiorgio set to start at tackle in 2022, plus super senior defensive lineman-turned-offensive lineman Tyler Manoa as a third option. O'Neal may or may not have the eligibility to return for 2023, though, so the Bruins will once again be looking for a new starting tackle next offseason.
Okunlola has excelled off the gridiron as well, competing in shot put and discus as a freshman on his high school's track & field team. Just this past winter, Okunlala won the New England Indepedent Sports League wrestling title as a junior.
Considering his offers from Virginia, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Michigan and Georgia Tech, Okunlola also boasts a highly-coveted academic profile.
Whether Oklunlola decides to go to UCLA or one of the other 42 programs that are currently courting him remains to be seen. Were he to commit to the Bruins, he would become the team's highest-rated recruit in the class with three-star wide receiver Grant Gray currently standing as their only 2023 pledge.
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