Miami Hurricanes OL Samson Okunlola set to help out at guard or tackle this year: “I’m a team player”

The Miami Hurricanes’ prized offensive 5-star signees in the 2023 recruiting class were both offensive linemen, and the duo are expected to have big impacts on the new Shannon Dawson attack as the year goes along.

One is Francis Mauigoa, who is slated to start at right tackle. The other: Samson Okunlola, who has a world of potential and – as of now – will be a key depth piece. He’s worked behind Jalen Rivers at left tackle for much of the spring and into fall camp but is also getting reps inside at guard.

“I’ve just loved how we do things, how much football you have – you have meetings, walkthroughs, practice,” Okunlola said of the adjustment to college. “I feel like I’ve adjusted pretty well and I’m still adjusting even more to become a master of the game, understanding defenses and our playbook even better.”

Okunlola says he’s watching extra film and taking mental reps to help him get ready for a season that’s around the corner.

“We focus on day by day, the next practice,” Okunlola said.

He’s leaned on Jalen Rivers, Javion Cohen and Matt Lee, saying he emulates how hard they work.

“I’m a team player, so at the end of the day wherever (coaches) want me – guard or tackle – I’m willing to play,” Okunlola said.

With tremendous size and athleticism, Okunlola earned the title “Pancake Honcho” in high school, referring to his habit of putting opponents on their backs. Okunlola’s learning curve has been a bit more steep compared to Mauigoa at Miami in part because of his high school background – Mauigoa was at a college prep program, essentially, at IMG, while Okunlola played at a Massachusetts high school with a much different level of competition.

But Okunlola has made a good transition to Miami and is ready to do his part to help this team. He played tackle in high school and – as mentioned earlier – is working at guard as well as tackle at UM.

He says at guard “it’s going from having a lot of space to no space, so if you can handle space why can’t you handle no space as well? I’m willing to play guard if the team needs me to.”

He’s set a preseason goal to be a freshman All-American.

“You have to put in more work than you’d even think you can put in, it’s always work and believing in yourself, having that confidence,” Okunlola said. “Because once you have that work done you have to have confidence in yourself to complete the task.”

*Okunlola says one of the most impressive things he’s seen with Mauigoa is that he squatted 500 pounds.

*A marketing major, one of the classes Okunlola is most excited for this semester is American sign language.

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