Colorado gets massive pass rush transfer on Signing Day eve
Dec 19, 2023, 7:28 PM | Updated: 7:31 pm
A night before a bunch of high school kids will sign to play for the Colorado Buffaloes, Deion Sanders landed another major transfer.
Samuel Okunlola, the fourth-ranked defensive lineman in the transfer portal according to 247 Sports, is headed to Boulder. Okunlola, a four-star prospect, was a CU target coming out of high school and after two productive years playing at Pittsburgh, he’ll represent the black and gold.
The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Okunlola is the second top-five defensive line transfer of this portal period to be heading to Boulder, joining Quency Wiggins.
Okunlola played in 15 games over two seasons with the Panthers, getting 18 tackles, six for a loss, five sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. In 83 defensive snaps this season he, grading out at 71.7 per Pro Football Focus.
Okunlola had offers from over a dozen Power Four schools to join them after entering the portal earlier this month.
💪🏽Samuel Okunlola gets the sack and the fumble!!! pic.twitter.com/NuUzfMbiFT
— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) October 14, 2023
Okunlola has three seasons of eligibility left. He’s part of Prime’s plan to rebuild both the offensive and defensive lines—winning in the trenches is something that did not happen in Year 1. Getting the big bodies to go with the already wealth of skill on the outside is what Sanders hopes is a winning formula for Colorado to get back to a bowl game for the second time in a full season since 2007.
A lot of Coach Prime’s best work may be coming in the transfer portal but Wednesday marks the start of the early signing period. The Buffaloes coach has hinted at some fireworks coming to Colorado. In each of the last two signing days, Prime has gotten the No. 1 defensive back in the country to commit to his program—Travis Hunter and Cormani McClain.
