On3 top-100 EDGE Danny Okoye commits to Sooners: ‘At Oklahoma, it’s family first’

Oklahoma’s devastating defensive line in the 2024 recruiting cycle continues to take shape as the Sooners added a massive piece in the form of Danny Okoye on Wednesday.

Okoye, a top-100 EDGE and the No. 1 recruit from the Sooner State, committed in-state to Oklahoma over Tennessee and Texas.

The No. 8-ranked EDGE in the On300, Okoye carefully navigated a national recruitment before the Sooners kicked it into gear with the elite defensive lineman leading into his senior year. After hosting Okoye for an official visit at the top of September, Oklahoma took a significant step forward.

“A lot of people say a lot of stuff,” Okoye told On3. “A recruitment is about who can say the nicest things and they’ll say whatever they can about what they can offer, but Oklahoma is more about showing you.”

Okoye finds a fit with Chavis, Bates, Roof and the Sooners

Multiple members of Oklahoma’s coaching staff played a hand in courting Okoye. That includes Brent Venables, as well as significant roles from defensive coordinator Ted Roof, DL coach Todd Bates and a sweeping amount of energy via position coach Miguel Chavis.

“The push has been more genuine than most,” Okoye, the No. 76 overall player in the On300, started on the Sooners.

“A lot of times coaches don’t know how to understand how to talk about much outside of football and a lot of times it can get in the way of building a connection,” he continued. “With a lot of the coaches at Oklahoma, it’s family first and football second. That played a big part in how I feel about them, about the connections I’ve built with Chavis and Bates and those guys.”

Those connections were forged with positional development in mind, but certainly seeped into life outside of football as well.

“Coach Roof gave me relationship advice the other day,” Okoye laughed. “I’m not gonna go ask a coach from Georgia relationship advice.”

Life after football was paramount for Okoye

During Okoye’s official visit to Oklahoma earlier this month, he spent time around former Sooner Caleb Kelly, who heads the program’s S.O.U.L. Mission initiative.

Kelly has emerged as a major bridge for the Sooners and Okoye leading into his decision. It offered the four-star EDGE unique perspective of the program.

“Even though he couldn’t fulfill his goal of going to the NFL, Oklahoma was there to take care of him and help him achieve what he wanted in life, even if it wasn’t through football. Seeing how Coach Venables did that for one of his players and to see how he cares about the person, not just the athlete, it definitely did enough to make me consider Oklahoma more.

“Football is not forever, as much as we wish that it was. I feel like a lot of recruits forget that — or overlook that — while making a decision. I’m not trying to commit to getting the best opportunity to play football. I want the best opportunities to be the best person I can be, and it goes beyond football or college to building a business or raising a family. That’s the kind of stuff that’s more important than football. Throwing those variables into the equation made it easier to see what I’m supposed to be looking at.

Danny Okoye scouting summary

On3 Director of Rankings Charles Power wrote this about Okoye, the top-rated recruit out of the Sooner State in this cycle:

“One of the more physically-gifted EDGE prospects in the 2024 cycle. Developed with a muscled, thick build. Listed at around 6-foot-4, 240 pounds. A twitchy, athletic player. Has a bunch of strength in the weight room, which transfers over to the field. An explosive pass rusher who wins with first-step quickness, speed to power and closing speed. A violent finisher behind the line of scrimmage. Finished his junior season with 16 tackles for loss. Also plays some offense and moonlights as a pass-catcher on the 7-on-7 circuit. Plays very low level competition, competing in a home school league. Will have to make a huge adjustment to the uptick in competition as he joins a Power 5 program. Older for the cycle, turning 19 years-old early on in his senior season. Will be a 20 year-old college freshman.”

The post On3 top-100 EDGE Danny Okoye commits to Sooners: ‘At Oklahoma, it’s family first’ appeared first on On3.