Huskies Offer Minnesota DT in Need of Worthy Nickname
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As far as anyone can tell, Jide Abasiri doesn't have a catchy nickname yet.
"Nigerian King" is taken.
That belongs to University of Washington senior linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio, fully recovered from arm and knee surgeries and expected to reclaim a prominent role on the Husky defense.
His teammates like to call him that both out of respect and with a certain level of playfulness.
"Nigerian Nightmare" belongs to someone else, too.
Chinedu Onyeagoro, a highly productive edge rusher for King/Drew Magnet School for Medicine and Science in Los Angeles, wears that handle, given to him by his coach.
Onyeagoro from the Class of 2025 received a UW offer in November.
Now comes Abasiri, with his family similarly of Nigerian descent, but someone still gaining traction as an American football player.
He's played the game for just one season, but he's getting the hang of it fairly quickly and college recruiters are noticing.
On Friday, the Huskies extended a scholarship offer to the 6-foot-6, 270-pound defensive tackle from Prior Lake, Minnesota, not needing him to be christened for his heritage.
However, should it get to that, how about "Nigerian Nastiness?" Or the Unneighborly Nigerian?"
With or without a shingle to hang out front, the 3-star recruit from the Class of 2024 now holds offers from his home state Minnesota, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Central Michigan and the Huskies. He's visited Notre Dame, but is still awaiting an offer from the Irish.
He comes off that lone season of football with 34 tackles, including a pair of tackles for loss, for a Prior Lake High team that went 6-4, all of this coming 20 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
The recruiting analysts are enamored with Abasiri for his body length and elite quickness.
The Huskies are partial to defensive tackles from Minnesota, too, recently having signed 6-foot-3, 295-pound incoming freshman Elinneus Davis from Moorhead, a suburb of Fargo, North Dakota, yet just across the state line.
As for that missing nickname, he can be the "Newsworthy Nigerian" should he choose the UW.
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