5-star OT Samson Okunlola commits to Miami: 'They're just the best school for me'

Brockton (Mass.) Thayer Academy five-star offensive tackle Samson Okunlola announced his top four of  Alabama, Florida, Miami and Michigan State on Dec. 13. With 48 hours until his public commitment, Okunlola went to work.

He had in-depth discussions with his family and evaluated multiple aspects of each school, including their 2022 seasons, personnel and academic opportunities. In the end, Okunlola chose the Hurricanes at the “last minute possible.”

“I think they’re just the best school for me as an individual,” Okunlola said. “The opportunity to play at a high level and to play for great coaches is a great plus to me. Also, having a head coach who’s an o-line coach, having a head coach who has a respect and a love for o-linemen and tailors their program to have great o-linemen.”

Okunlola was interested in a couple of schools during the summer and almost committed then. However, he took his time with the process, and ended up giving Miami another huge win on the recruiting trail.

The 6-foot-5, 305-pound recruit built strong relationships with head coach Mario Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal. He was impressed by their efforts of bringing in talented recruits and transfers to “change the culture and elevate the program.” Since Okunlola fit the bill as one of those players, their pitch to him was simple.

“Their message is, ‘We’re trying to change this. We’re trying to make this program the best program here,'” said Okunlola, the No. 16 overall prospect and No. 3 offensive tackle in the 2023 On3 Consensus. “‘But we need dudes who are leaders, who want to be great at football, who have a certain amount of confidence in their game and (are) certain about the way they carry themselves to, overall, bring the team morale up.”

Okunlola believes he can succeed at Miami on and off the field

Following Miami’s in-home visit, Okunlola still had some concerns. But after thinking through his decision, he felt confident with the Hurricanes.

A key reason was Cristobal and Mirabal.

“I’m really close with them,” Okunlola said. “They’re o-line guys and I’m an o-line guy myself. It’s always good talks… always good talks about life, genuinely just having a great mind and just being wise and having great talks with them on a whole different level.”

Landing the top player in Massachusetts gives the Hurricanes their third top-300 commit in four days. Additionally, Okunlola is now the third five-star in Miami’s 2023 recruiting class alongside Lakeland (Fla.) Five-Star Plus+ cornerback Cormani McClain and Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy Five-Star Plus+ offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa.

Right now, the Hurricanes’ class is one of the best in the country. As a result, Okunlola believes the future will be bright in Coral Gables.

“This class could really be the kickoff, really be the starter for the program,” Okunlola said. “It’s gonna be the upside. Coming from late in the year, they had this up-and-coming season. It’s gonna take major development. It’s not like you get a bunch of five-stars and you’re going to start winning right off the bat. These five-stars, the high school kids, they need to be developed. They need the right coaching. They need the right time, the right training to be as good as (they) can be, to live up to the potential. It’s gonna take a little while, but it might be faster. I can’t predict the future, but it will be great pretty soon.”

In addition to playing for one of the most iconic programs in college football, Okunlola is excited to build his brand while at Miami. The five-star is already known as “Pancake Honcho” and recently promoted Kodiak Cakes – a company that makes protein and vitamin-infused pancakes – over social media.

“Miami’s one of the biggest cities,” Okunlola said. “Brand-wise, there’s gonna be companies that are open to brand deals. There’s gonna be people hoping to connect with you because you go to the University of Miami. Maybe alumni have business or maybe pancakes companies want to pair with me. There’s so many opportunities to build your brand in Miami, compared to other schools.”