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Missouri 5-star DL commit Williams Nwaneri wears Oklahoma gear in scrimmage

hunterby:Hunter Shelton•08/17/23•

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Williams Nwaneri2
(Williams Nwaneri/Instagram)

On Aug. 14, Lee’s Summit (Mo.) North Five-Star Plus+ defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri made waves on the recruiting trail, committing to the in-state Missouri Tigers over Oklahoma, Georgia and Tennessee.

His commitment was just the second five-star pledge for Mizzou since 2015. It’s been viewed as a momentous win for the program, even eliciting a collective roar from Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers’ coaching staff upon his announcement.

When asked just how committed he was to Missouri after his pledge, Nwaneri replied “1000 percent committed. I don’t plan on flipping or changing.”

On Thursday night, just days after his commitment, Nwaneri made more waves when he was spotted in Oklahoma gear as Lee’s Summit North scrimmaged Union High School in Tulsa, Okla. It was the Sooners — not the Tigers — that were thought to be in the lead for the elite lineman for much of his recruitment.

Oklahoma received four visits, including an official on June 9. The Sooners’ recruitment of Nwaneri was early and often, though it wasn’t enough to pull the five-star out-of-state.

“I had to show some love… They’re still recruiting me and I’m going to let the season play out, but I’m committed to Mizzou… Just having fun with it,” Nwaneri told SoonerScoop’s George Stoia after the scrimmage.

Nwaneri is the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 ranked the 6-foot-6, 265-pounder as the No. 1 player in the cycle.

Nwaneri has an On3 NIL Valuation of $386K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.